To say that molasses cookies are distinctively Acadian is a bit of a stretch, but you can’t deny that they would have been made on a regular basis. Molasses is available in easy supply in many Acadian homes, both classic and contemporary. Think about it: the main ingredients were lard and molasses, things which were easy enough to obtain. The cookies can be flavoured and spiced by adding cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, or Chinese five-spice to the batter. You could also dip the balls of dough into sanding sugar before pressing down on them with a fork.

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup lard
1 cup molasses
1 tsp freshly ground ginger
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
• Cream the lard and sugar together for about 2 minutes.
• Add the molasses and ginger, and blend well.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
• Add the flour to the mixture until just combined.
• Place the dough in the fridge for about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 ̊F.
• Spoon out equal sized portions of the cookie dough, a heaping table-
spoon or so, and roll into small balls. Place onto a cookie sheet, and
press down gently with a fork.
• Place in oven and bake for about 8 minutes, or until edges are gently
crisped.

Makes 12-15 Cookies

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Learn more about Pantry and Palate: 

In Pantry and Palate, journalist Simon Thibault explores his Acadian roots by scouring old family recipes, ladies' auxiliary cookbooks, and folk wisdom for 50 of the best-loved recipes of Acadians past and present. Recipes run the gamut from Acadian staples such as potato pancakes called Fring Frangs, Rappie Pie, Chicken Fricot, and various forms of meat pies; old-fashioned foodways, such as how to render your own lard, and make the most of out a pig's head; and sumptuous sweets take the form of Rhubarb Custard Pie or a simple Molasses Cake. Thibault not only discovers the past lives of his immediate and extended family, but their larders as well. 

Including essays celebrating the stories behind the recipes, a foreword by bestselling author Naomi Duguid (Taste of Persia), and photos by noted food photographer Noah Fecks (The Up South Cookbook), Pantry and Palate is magnifiquefrom page to plate.

Excerpt from Pantry And Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food, by Simon Thibault (Nimbus Press, 2017)