Recipe: Slice and Bake Cookies: Date and Nut Cookie Rings, Stratford Hall Ginger Cookies

Slice and Bake Cookies
Newsgroup: misc.consumers.frugal-living/Karen Wheless
I've never tried to freeze either of these, but the rolls last a long time in the fridge, if you wrap them well you can keep them for a week or more. The ginger cookies are very easy, they were the first cookies I ever made by myself. You can sprinkle them with colored sugar for Christmas, and they look very festive. The date and nut rolls were my mom's favorites, a yearly Christmas tradition.

Date and Nut Cookie Rings
Recipe By: Family Recipe - Grandma Spencer
Serving Size: 1
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs well beaten
4 cups flour (or more)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder heaping

FILLING
2 1/4 cups chopped dates (1 lb)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup nuts

Cook dates, sugar and water for 5 minutes. Then add nuts. Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add the rest and mix well. Chill both mixtures. Roll, spread, chill and slice. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Stratford Hall Ginger Cookies
Recipe By: Stratford Hall, Richmond VA

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter, melted
1/2 cup molasses
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
4 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
sugar

Melt butter. Add molasses, sugar and eggs. Beat well. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the above mixture. Refrigerate dough for several hours. Make into small balls, roll in sugar. Bake at 350F until firm and brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Note: For large amounts, shape refrigerated dough in a roll about 1-inch thick and cut into pieces 3/4-inch thick, dip the cut side in sugar and bake as above.