New Year's Resolutions 2016 Edition

The new year is right around the corner. It's there, peeking around the corner, just three days away. Promises of a clean slate and what is to come beckon. No one knows what the next year is going to bring. I like to set myself up with a direction and goals for the upcoming year. Something to work on. Something to work toward. Evaluating the past year and figuring out where it is I want to go helps me grow to be a better me, as a mom, wife, blogger, daughter, friend, writer and everything else I am. Everyone is a work in progress so why not set yourself up in the right direction?

Looking back, 2015 held surprises I could never have imagined. I'm a planner, but what was thrown at us wasn't anything for which I'd planned. To be totally honest, I never saw any of it coming. So much in life is simply not possible to foresee no matter how much you try to prepare yourself for any eventualities. Some of the major curve balls I didn't see coming were M2's autism diagnosis and A's pay cut. Both changed our lives in ways we didn't expect. Both happened around the same time. Both sent us into a tailspin trying to find a new normal. It's still a normal that we're trying to find. The next year promises to be another year of figuring out what is to come. A lot of adjusting and figuring out what works best is in store.

While I can't control our income or M2's special needs, there are still goals I can set for things I do have more influence on. I learned long ago that we can't change other people or events, all we can control is ourselves and our reactions. Well, as much as we can because face it, sometimes we all just lose it. Emotions take over and we just go along for the ride. There's also the matter of realizing not all the goals are going to happen because, again, life is life!

e can plan, we can set resolutions, but in the end, as John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens while you're busy making plans." When it comes down to it, we need to roll with the punches life throws as the year goes on. Who knows what it'll bring. Take each day as it comes, do your best, focus on the good times, get through the bad with the help of those who love you and make the most of the time you're given. 

With all that out of the way, here are my 2016 resolutions.

Find balance

I've been feeling out of balance lately as a mom, wife, blogger and even as myself. I want to find the balance between the different aspects of who I am so I can be better at each.

Manage expectations

I always expect too much of myself and sometimes of others. This year, I want to manage my expectations so that I'm not set up for disappointment.

Bake at the next level

If you've been around here for a bit, you know I love to bake. I'm always trying to improve my skills and expand my abilities. In 2016, I want to continue that. Cake decorating is one of the big ones I'm going to focus on. I've got the baking down, now my decorating needs to improve!

Lose to gain myself

I have a goal weight that is about 90 pounds less than I am now. I'm simply not happy, healthy or comfortable at the weight I am now, despite losing 87 pounds the past year. In the spirit of managing expectations, I know losing all that in 2016 isn't going to happen. What can happen is eating better, getting more exercise and losing at least 50 pounds. That'll set me up to lose the last 40 in 2017. I'll be losing to gain a healthier, happier me. I plan to finish out my "The Fat Kid" Tells All series and write more about my weight loss over the next year.

Acceptance

I've been working on accepting that I can't control everything, that life is going to take unexpected turns no matter how hard I try to see every twist coming. That is going to continue.

Budget

With our change in finances, I'm going to think up new ways to save, find creative ways to meet the budget and get our spending into a new normal that fits our lifestyle. I'll be starting out with looking at the budget from last year, seeing what has changed and setting a new one for this year using my 7 easy tips.

Family fun

I really want to do more fun activities and day trips as a family. It really felt like we didn't do enough of that this year. Building awesome memories in 2016 is a must!

Blog

I want to write more posts, like this one, that come straight from the heart. Sharing more of myself and my life is something I hope helps others when they're experiencing similar things. I'm always looking for books, stories, blogs, etc., that I can read and relate to. I hope to do the same for all of you. Plus, it's fun and interesting to hear about other people's lives, I think. In the plan is also doing some layout and design change around here.

Growth

Hopefully, I'll also gain a whole bunch of new readers over the next year as well! Writing engaging content you enjoy is going to be crucial here. To reach this goal, I could also really use your help. Please remember to vote for me by clicking the pink Top Mommy Blogs banner below. Top Mommy Blogs is the number one way people find The Stay-at-Home Life so the higher I rank, the easier it is for people to find it. If you haven't already, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. I share different content to each. Be sure to tell your friends and family about the blog as well. I so appreciate your help and support! 

Happy New Year!

Please vote for me by clicking the pink banner below, then clicking the GREEN or ORANGE button on the next page to confirm the vote! Thank you!!

New Year's Resolutions 2016 Edition

The new year is right around the corner. It's there, peeking around the corner, just three days away. Promises of a clean slate and what is to come beckon. No one knows what the next year is going to bring. I like to set myself up with a direction and goals for the upcoming year. Something to work on. Something to work toward. Evaluating the past year and figuring out where it is I want to go helps me grow to be a better me, as a mom, wife, blogger, daughter, friend, writer and everything else I am. Everyone is a work in progress so why not set yourself up in the right direction?

Looking back, 2015 held surprises I could never have imagined. I'm a planner, but what was thrown at us wasn't anything for which I'd planned. To be totally honest, I never saw any of it coming. So much in life is simply not possible to foresee no matter how much you try to prepare yourself for any eventualities. Some of the major curve balls I didn't see coming were M2's autism diagnosis and A's pay cut. Both changed our lives in ways we didn't expect. Both happened around the same time. Both sent us into a tailspin trying to find a new normal. It's still a normal that we're trying to find. The next year promises to be another year of figuring out what is to come. A lot of adjusting and figuring out what works best is in store.

While I can't control our income or M2's special needs, there are still goals I can set for things I do have more influence on. I learned long ago that we can't change other people or events, all we can control is ourselves and our reactions. Well, as much as we can because face it, sometimes we all just lose it. Emotions take over and we just go along for the ride. There's also the matter of realizing not all the goals are going to happen because, again, life is life!

e can plan, we can set resolutions, but in the end, as John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens while you're busy making plans." When it comes down to it, we need to roll with the punches life throws as the year goes on. Who knows what it'll bring. Take each day as it comes, do your best, focus on the good times, get through the bad with the help of those who love you and make the most of the time you're given. 

With all that out of the way, here are my 2016 resolutions.

Find balance

I've been feeling out of balance lately as a mom, wife, blogger and even as myself. I want to find the balance between the different aspects of who I am so I can be better at each.

Manage expectations

I always expect too much of myself and sometimes of others. This year, I want to manage my expectations so that I'm not set up for disappointment.

Bake at the next level

If you've been around here for a bit, you know I love to bake. I'm always trying to improve my skills and expand my abilities. In 2016, I want to continue that. Cake decorating is one of the big ones I'm going to focus on. I've got the baking down, now my decorating needs to improve!

Lose to gain myself

I have a goal weight that is about 90 pounds less than I am now. I'm simply not happy, healthy or comfortable at the weight I am now, despite losing 87 pounds the past year. In the spirit of managing expectations, I know losing all that in 2016 isn't going to happen. What can happen is eating better, getting more exercise and losing at least 50 pounds. That'll set me up to lose the last 40 in 2017. I'll be losing to gain a healthier, happier me. I plan to finish out my "The Fat Kid" Tells All series and write more about my weight loss over the next year.

Acceptance

I've been working on accepting that I can't control everything, that life is going to take unexpected turns no matter how hard I try to see every twist coming. That is going to continue.

Budget

With our change in finances, I'm going to think up new ways to save, find creative ways to meet the budget and get our spending into a new normal that fits our lifestyle. I'll be starting out with looking at the budget from last year, seeing what has changed and setting a new one for this year using my 7 easy tips.

Family fun

I really want to do more fun activities and day trips as a family. It really felt like we didn't do enough of that this year. Building awesome memories in 2016 is a must!

Blog

I want to write more posts, like this one, that come straight from the heart. Sharing more of myself and my life is something I hope helps others when they're experiencing similar things. I'm always looking for books, stories, blogs, etc., that I can read and relate to. I hope to do the same for all of you. Plus, it's fun and interesting to hear about other people's lives, I think. In the plan is also doing some layout and design change around here.

Growth

Hopefully, I'll also gain a whole bunch of new readers over the next year as well! Writing engaging content you enjoy is going to be crucial here. To reach this goal, I could also really use your help. Please remember to vote for me by clicking the pink Top Mommy Blogs banner below. Top Mommy Blogs is the number one way people find The Stay-at-Home Life so the higher I rank, the easier it is for people to find it. If you haven't already, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. I share different content to each. Be sure to tell your friends and family about the blog as well. I so appreciate your help and support! 

Happy New Year!

A Christmas Message

Dear lovely readers,

This holiday season has been filled with lots of baking for me. In fact, I'm actually behind on decorating and gift wrapping because of all the time that's gone into the goodies! We're still in the process of decking the halls. The stocking garland went up tonight but the stockings are still MIA. Presents are bought, but wrapping paper is still tucked away from last year. Usually, I'm done weeks in advance since I'm such a planner. Even the years I was pregnant and due at the start of the month, I had everything done beforehand, right after Thanksgiving. This is the first year I'm behind. All that's been going on with M2 (more coming soon), my being sick (more on this coming soon, too), the baking and general life have conspired to keep me from getting my act together.

One tradition we've started in our family this year isn't behind schedule. All over Facebook, that little Elf on the Shelf guy has been making an appearance. He simply isn't a fit for our family. Instead, M2 and B have been getting a mini-board book each day that is part of a larger set. All together, the books tell the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

The Christmas Book Elf, a very special position in Santa's ranks of elves, has been dropping off the books one by one. Sometimes, he includes a little treat. Today, he even snuck up behind M2 while she was watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and left the book with a mini peanut butter cup on top! She didn't even notice he'd been there until I pointed it out to her. (I'm really lucky she didn't turn around and catch me!) Her face lights up every time a new book appears (some days, I "mysteriously" find it downstairs, other days it's hiding for her to find). 

Ever the good big sister, she make sure B sees the book and that both of them hear the new part of the story. On Christmas Eve, they'll get the last book. Come Christmas, we'll read the full story all together then leave the books under the tree that night for the Christmas Book Elf to come pick up. He'll keep them safe until next year, when he'll drop off one book a day again. Reading is very important to our family and both kids love books, which makes this the perfect tradition for us. One day when they're older, I hope they'll share the tradition with their own families.

I've been sharing some yummy cookie recipes the past two weeks. There's still one more treat to come that I'll be sharing early in the new year. Time simply got away from me or I'd share it sooner. Just to tease you a little: It's a great chocolate cookie that would make a perfect treat any time throughout the winter. 

In the mean time, these recipes should round out your holiday baking quite well:

Big & Chewy Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meltaway Spritz Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Specials 
Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms

I'll be taking a break from the blog until after Christmas in order to get everything ready for the day and, most importantly, to spend time with A, M2, B and our extended family. After all, making cherished memories with loved ones is what Christmas is all about! 

From my family to yours, may you have a wondrous, magical Christmas Day filled with delights, surprises and an abundance of love.

Merry Christmas,

Melissa 

A Christmas Message

Dear lovely readers,

This holiday season has been filled with lots of baking for me. In fact, I'm actually behind on decorating and gift wrapping because of all the time that's gone into the goodies! We're still in the process of decking the halls. The stocking garland went up tonight but the stockings are still MIA. Presents are bought, but wrapping paper is still tucked away from last year. Usually, I'm done weeks in advance since I'm such a planner. Even the years I was pregnant and due at the start of the month, I had everything done beforehand, right after Thanksgiving. This is the first year I'm behind. All that's been going on with M2 (more coming soon), my being sick (more on this coming soon, too), the baking and general life have conspired to keep me from getting my act together.

One tradition we've started in our family this year isn't behind schedule. All over Facebook, that little Elf on the Shelf guy has been making an appearance. He simply isn't a fit for our family. Instead, M2 and B have been getting a mini-board book each day that is part of a larger set. All together, the books tell the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

The Christmas Book Elf, a very special position in Santa's ranks of elves, has been dropping off the books one by one. Sometimes, he includes a little treat. Today, he even snuck up behind M2 while she was watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and left the book with a mini peanut butter cup on top! She didn't even notice he'd been there until I pointed it out to her. (I'm really lucky she didn't turn around and catch me!) Her face lights up every time a new book appears (some days, I "mysteriously" find it downstairs, other days it's hiding for her to find). 

Ever the good big sister, she make sure B sees the book and that both of them hear the new part of the story. On Christmas Eve, they'll get the last book. Come Christmas, we'll read the full story all together then leave the books under the tree that night for the Christmas Book Elf to come pick up. He'll keep them safe until next year, when he'll drop off one book a day again. Reading is very important to our family and both kids love books, which makes this the perfect tradition for us. One day when they're older, I hope they'll share the tradition with their own families.

I've been sharing some yummy cookie recipes the past two weeks. There's still one more treat to come that I'll be sharing early in the new year. Time simply got away from me or I'd share it sooner. Just to tease you a little: It's a great chocolate cookie that would make a perfect treat any time throughout the winter. 

In the mean time, these recipes should round out your holiday baking quite well:

Big & Chewy Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meltaway Spritz Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Specials 
Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms

I'll be taking a break from the blog until after Christmas in order to get everything ready for the day and, most importantly, to spend time with A, M2, B and our extended family. After all, making cherished memories with loved ones is what Christmas is all about! 

From my family to yours, may you have a wondrous, magical Christmas Day filled with delights, surprises and an abundance of love.

Merry Christmas,

Melissa 

Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Every year, the peanut butter blossom cookies I bake are a huge hit. No matter how many dozens I make, it's never enough. The peanut buttery cookies topped with a chocolate kiss simply vanish as if by magic, quicker than Santa pops down the chimney to deliver Christmas gifts. If I should dare to set a peanut butter blossom out on Santa's treat plate, a quick hand snatches it up before the kids are even nestled all snug in their beds. Poor Santa. Maybe one year he'll get lucky enough to try one.

If you'd like to whip up a batch for him at your house (or just enjoy them yourself) here's the simple yet scrumptious recipe. My recipe is a bit different from the rest I've seen as it has more peanut butter and vanilla but less salt. It gives the cookies a richer, more peanut buttery taste. Be sure to get extra chocolate kisses when you make these. I guarantee you some of those are going to "disappear" while you're baking if your house is anything like mine.

Other Cookie Recipes
Be sure to check out my recipes for these other great holiday cookie treats:
Big & Chewy Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meltaway Spritz Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Specials 
Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (Coming soon!)


Baking Tricks
These are the silicone baking mats I use for cookies and LOVE. They are also great for cooking chicken and other foods in the oven. The baking sheets hold up well, I've had my set for a few years now. I'd be lost without my KitchenAid mixer, attachments and a good set of wooden spoons, too!

Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms

by The Stay-at-Home Life

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert peanut butter chocolate Christmas cookie American fall spring summer winter

6076304

Ingredients (4 dozen)

For cookies

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

For rolling

• 1/4 cup sugar

On top

• 48 unwrapped chocolate kisses

Instructions

Combine sugars, butter and peanut butter. Cream together until light and fluffy.

Add egg, vanilla and salt, beating until well mixed

Stir together flour and baking soda

Slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture, mixing continually

Dough will be crumbly

Shape dough into 1-inch balls

Roll through sugar

Place on cookie sheet about two inches apart

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes

When the dough is set and you have one minute left to bake, remove the cookies from the oven and press the chocolate kisses down into each

Bake for the remaining minute (this allows the kisses to melt into the cookies a bit and adhere better)

Remove from oven and put the cookies onto a cooling rack right away

Store in an air-tight container

Cookies keep for awhile so can be made ahead

Please vote for me by clicking the pink banner below, then clicking the GREEN or ORANGE button on the next page to confirm the vote! Thank you!!

Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Every year, the peanut butter blossom cookies I bake are a huge hit. No matter how many dozens I make, it's never enough. The peanut buttery cookies topped with a chocolate kiss simply vanish as if by magic, quicker than Santa pops down the chimney to deliver Christmas gifts. If I should dare to set a peanut butter blossom out on Santa's treat plate, a quick hand snatches it up before the kids are even nestled all snug in their beds. Poor Santa. Maybe one year he'll get lucky enough to try one.

If you'd like to whip up a batch for him at your house (or just enjoy them yourself) here's the simple yet scrumptious recipe. My recipe is a bit different from the rest I've seen as it has more peanut butter and vanilla but less salt. It gives the cookies a richer, more peanut buttery taste. Be sure to get extra chocolate kisses when you make these. I guarantee you some of those are going to "disappear" while you're baking if your house is anything like mine.

Other Cookie Recipes
Be sure to check out my recipes for these other great holiday cookie treats:
Big & Chewy Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meltaway Spritz Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Specials 
Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (Coming soon!)


Baking Tricks
These are the silicone baking mats I use for cookies and LOVE. They are also great for cooking chicken and other foods in the oven. The baking sheets hold up well, I've had my set for a few years now. I'd be lost without my KitchenAid mixer, attachments and a good set of wooden spoons, too!

Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms

by The Stay-at-Home Life

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert peanut butter chocolate Christmas cookie American fall spring summer winter

6076304

Ingredients (4 dozen)

For cookies

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

For rolling

• 1/4 cup sugar

On top

• 48 unwrapped chocolate kisses

Instructions

Combine sugars, butter and peanut butter. Cream together until light and fluffy.

Add egg, vanilla and salt, beating until well mixed

Stir together flour and baking soda

Slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture, mixing continually

Dough will be crumbly

Shape dough into 1-inch balls

Roll through sugar

Place on cookie sheet about two inches apart

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes

When the dough is set and you have one minute left to bake, remove the cookies from the oven and press the chocolate kisses down into each

Bake for the remaining minute (this allows the kisses to melt into the cookies a bit and adhere better)

Remove from oven and put the cookies onto a cooling rack right away

Store in an air-tight container

Cookies keep for awhile so can be made ahead

Please vote for me by clicking on the pink button below! Thanks!

Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies

If you've ever been to Colonial Williamsburg, you most likely remember the awesome gingerbread cookies that are sold in the little shop behind Raleigh Tavern. To me, they are all that gingerbread should be. The perfect blend of spices, aroma and texture in a cookie that screams "Christmas" yet is too good not to eat all year long. My recipe is inspired by these delightful cookies.

These cookies bring back great memories of Colonial Williamsburg for me. It's one of my absolute favorite places. The old houses, architecture, gardens, shops, costumes and decorations are amazing to see. I love stepping back in time to see what our country was once like. You can't help but feel like you're stepping back in time when you're there! The various taverns have some good food and drinks, too. The gingerbread cookies are one of my first stops on visits. I'm always sure to get extras to bring home. I don't make it there very often though, so with this recipe I make my own at home!

On a random message board, I recently found a comment posted years ago with a recipe the author claimed to be the original one the Williamsburg bakers use. My recipe is very similar, but with changes, as to me the one on the message board didn't have the flavor profile I remember. They were more bland and floury.

Unlike many gingerbreads, these are so easy to make. Unless you burn them, there's really no way to mess them up either. How long you bake them just determines how soft or crunchy they are. Either way, they're good! And that's coming from me, Mrs. Doesn't-Usually-Like-Crunchy-Cookies. I can't stop eating these, though. M2 adores them, too. She eats cookie after cookie until I hide them away.

The dough doesn't have to be chilled at all. Simply whip up a batch of dough, roll them out and start cutting. The dough is soft and stretchy without being sticky. I don't have to add any flour to the rolling surface or rolling pin when I get to that part. Since there aren't any eggs in the dough, it's a good dough to eat raw, too. M2 kept sneaking bits of it while I was rolling it out! It's really a pretty quick recipe to throw together. The cutouts take the most time.

The gingerbread cookies in Colonial Williamsburg are kept simple with no decoration and are all round. I had a bit more fun with mine, cutting them into various shapes. If you want, you can sprinkle on some powdered sugar or add icing. I kept mine traditional in that respect.

Since they are a cut out cookie, it's possible to make mini cookies from this gingerbread. The mini ones are fun for the kids to eat and cut down on how much you're eating (as long as you don't eat a ton to compensate for the size). The cookies don't spread much while baking, they go up more than anything, so as long as you leave a little space between each you can load up the cookies sheets to get them baked faster. I use silicone baking mats (there's a link to them below) to keep the bottoms from getting dark or too crispy.

Just like in Colonial Williamsburg where you can get their gingerbread cookies year round, these cookies are tasty at any time. Around Christmas they're just extra special. Grab a few, put them on a festive holiday plate, heat up a cup of hot chocolate or pour a cold cup of eggnog and slip into the Christmas spirit with these Colonial Williamsburg gingerbread cookies.

Other Cookie Recipes
Be sure to check out my recipes for these other great holiday cookie treats:
Big & Chewy Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meltaway Spritz Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Specials 
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (Coming soon!)
Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms

Baking Tricks
These are the silicone baking mats I use for cookies and LOVE. They are also great for cooking chicken and other foods in the oven. The baking sheets hold up well, I've had my set for a few years now. I'd be lost without my KitchenAid mixer, attachments and a good set of wooden spoons, too!

Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies

by The Stay-at-Home Life

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 9-11 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert low-sodium nut-free cinnamon nutmeg ginger Christmas Thanksgiving cookie American fall spring summer winter

6076265

Ingredients (Yield depends on size of cutters)

• 1 cup unsulphered molasses
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup melted unsalted butter
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 cups flour

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, mix molasses, evaporated milk, butter, salt and sugar until well combined

Add ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda to the mixture

Slowly add the flour one cup at a time, mixing constantly

Mix until well combined, plus a few more minutes to achieve a smooth texture

With rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4 inch sheet and cut with cookie cutters of any shape and size

Place on cookie sheet, they can be close together as long as there's a bit of space in between

Bake at 375 for 9 minutes for softer cookies, bake longer, up to 11 minutes, for crunchier cookies

Since there is no egg, you can make the cookies as soft as you'd like. Under 9 minutes will give you a more cake-like cookie

Optional: Dust cookies with confectioner's sugar

Cool for two minutes then remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack

Cookies can be stacked on each other to cool

Once cool, pack in an air-tight container or baggies

The cookies keep for a long time so they are great to make in advance

Please vote for me by clicking the pink banner below, then clicking the GREEN or ORANGE button on the next page to confirm the vote! Thank you!!
This post contains affiliate links.

Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies

If you've ever been to Colonial Williamsburg, you most likely remember the awesome gingerbread cookies that are sold in the little shop behind Raleigh Tavern. To me, they are all that gingerbread should be. The perfect blend of spices, aroma and texture in a cookie that screams "Christmas" yet is too good not to eat all year long. My recipe is inspired by these delightful cookies.

These cookies bring back great memories of Colonial Williamsburg for me. It's one of my absolute favorite places. The old houses, architecture, gardens, shops, costumes and decorations are amazing to see. I love stepping back in time to see what our country was once like. You can't help but feel like you're stepping back in time when you're there! The various taverns have some good food and drinks, too. The gingerbread cookies are one of my first stops on visits. I'm always sure to get extras to bring home. I don't make it there very often though, so with this recipe I make my own at home!

On a random message board, I recently found a comment posted years ago with a recipe the author claimed to be the original one the Williamsburg bakers use. My recipe is very similar, but with changes, as to me the one on the message board didn't have the flavor profile I remember. They were more bland and floury.

Unlike many gingerbreads, these are so easy to make. Unless you burn them, there's really no way to mess them up either. How long you bake them just determines how soft or crunchy they are. Either way, they're good! And that's coming from me, Mrs. Doesn't-Usually-Like-Crunchy-Cookies. I can't stop eating these, though. M2 adores them, too. She eats cookie after cookie until I hide them away.

The dough doesn't have to be chilled at all. Simply whip up a batch of dough, roll them out and start cutting. The dough is soft and stretchy without being sticky. I don't have to add any flour to the rolling surface or rolling pin when I get to that part. Since there aren't any eggs in the dough, it's a good dough to eat raw, too. M2 kept sneaking bits of it while I was rolling it out! It's really a pretty quick recipe to throw together. The cutouts take the most time.

The gingerbread cookies in Colonial Williamsburg are kept simple with no decoration and are all round. I had a bit more fun with mine, cutting them into various shapes. If you want, you can sprinkle on some powdered sugar or add icing. I kept mine traditional in that respect.

Since they are a cut out cookie, it's possible to make mini cookies from this gingerbread. The mini ones are fun for the kids to eat and cut down on how much you're eating (as long as you don't eat a ton to compensate for the size). The cookies don't spread much while baking, they go up more than anything, so as long as you leave a little space between each you can load up the cookies sheets to get them baked faster. I use silicone baking mats (there's a link to them below) to keep the bottoms from getting dark or too crispy.

Just like in Colonial Williamsburg where you can get their gingerbread cookies year round, these cookies are tasty at any time. Around Christmas they're just extra special. Grab a few, put them on a festive holiday plate, heat up a cup of hot chocolate or pour a cold cup of eggnog and slip into the Christmas spirit with these Colonial Williamsburg gingerbread cookies.

Other Cookie Recipes
Be sure to check out my recipes for these other great holiday cookie treats:
Big & Chewy Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meltaway Spritz Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Specials 
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (Coming soon!)
Best-Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms

Baking Tricks
These are the silicone baking mats I use for cookies and LOVE. They are also great for cooking chicken and other foods in the oven. The baking sheets hold up well, I've had my set for a few years now. I'd be lost without my KitchenAid mixer, attachments and a good set of wooden spoons, too!

Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies

by The Stay-at-Home Life

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 9-11 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert low-sodium nut-free cinnamon nutmeg ginger Christmas Thanksgiving cookie American fall spring summer winter

6076265

Ingredients (Yield depends on size of cutters)

• 1 cup unsulphered molasses
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup melted unsalted butter
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 cups flour

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, mix molasses, evaporated milk, butter, salt and sugar until well combined

Add ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda to the mixture

Slowly add the flour one cup at a time, mixing constantly

Mix until well combined, plus a few more minutes to achieve a smooth texture

With rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4 inch sheet and cut with cookie cutters of any shape and size

Place on cookie sheet, they can be close together as long as there's a bit of space in between

Bake at 375 for 9 minutes for softer cookies, bake longer, up to 11 minutes, for crunchier cookies

Since there is no egg, you can make the cookies as soft as you'd like. Under 9 minutes will give you a more cake-like cookie

Optional: Dust cookies with confectioner's sugar

Cool for two minutes then remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack

Cookies can be stacked on each other to cool

Once cool, pack in an air-tight container or baggies

The cookies keep for a long time so they are great to make in advance

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