I wish I could give samples of every recipe posted. I tried real hard with this spice cookie recipe giving them to friends, family, a neighbor, and my workout buddies. Outside of standing on the corner handing them out, I did my best to get them in as many hands and bellies as I possibly could. You might think – great advertising Rosie, I say sharing the love! I mean really, isn’t that what making and sharing food is really all about? Oh- and the recipe makes a whole bunch of cookies. Yumalicious!
This is a fairly new recipe for me. I was a seasonal worker at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows gift shop and Judia Touchette shared them with us calling her cookies a long time family favorite. For me, it was love at first bite! The large amount of cinnamon, the ground cloves, and finely chopped nuts, come together in the perfect amounts giving you a cookie that is great chewy or crunchy and ready for dunking. I’ve made them both ways and couldn’t tell you which one I like best.
The cloves and a large amount of cinnamon set this recipe apart from other spice cookies. Both spices fall into the category of ‘super spice’. They are nutrient dense, packing a list of benefits including; antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antifungal, and can be used in various ways to treat all kinds of ailments naturally. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m trying to sell you on the benefits of the spice with a list of ingredients that would make Paul Deen proud. Well, I believe in balance and I think a little sweet now and then is OK. Just the fact that spice cookies have been around forever, shows they’ve made the test of time. The spice has history and the cookie has history. Jamie Oliver’s short video ‘Let’s Talk About Cloves‘ will have you smiling and thinking about adding cloves to everything from your vacuum cleaner to your next bath. Believe me, you’ll be grabbing cloves on your next trip to the market. He also adds a little historical background about this ancient spice. A really fun video!
I hope you try this recipe and I will add that they freeze really well which helps when preparing for an event. Please consider pinning and sharing the recipe, it’s just another way to share the love. A big shout out to Judy for sharing a family favorite with her co-workers. You know how I feel about food fests at work and how eating and discovering great recipes is just a natural part of our work communities. A great way to bring people together. FOOD!
Rose and Judy 2016
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rose
- 2 cups shortening
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1½ teaspoons ground cloves
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups flour
- 2 cups finely chopped pecans (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Beat eggs. Add shortening, sugars, and vanilla and beat.
- Add dry ingredients and mix.
- Drop by teaspoonfuls (roll into a ball in your palm) onto greased cookie sheet.
- Flatten with bottom of floured glass.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes in the upper part of the oven.
- Cookies will spread out and puff up and then fall when taken out of the oven.
- Place on wire racks and immediately sprinkle with powdered sugar and cool.
- Store in airtight containers.
- The cookies freeze well.