'Tis the Season For Baking

I did the Molasses Roll-Outs today, also known in The Betty Crocker Cooky Book as Merry Christmas Molasses Cookies. Like sugar cookies, they get rolled with a rolling pin and cut into shapes. Unlike sugar cookies, they're made with less sugar and with molasses and spices instead of vanilla. They have a less-sweet, subtly spicy flavor. I love spice anything, and everyone does sugar cookies. These aren't something you'll buy in the store.

For possibly the first time since I've started making them about four or five years ago, they came out perfectly. The edges were slightly browned and a little crisp but not hard, nothing broke when I took it off the tray, and none of them burned. I even didn't make too much of a mess, thanks to remembering to put the Coca-Cola towel under the cookies when I roll them. (The towel gives the bottoms a nice, rough textile look, too.)

I watched Christmas movies and specials while I baked. Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales, from 1979, is a Looney Tunes anthology of three original Christmas shorts. My personal favorite is the last, involving Bugs, his nephew Clyde, and the Tazmanian Devil dressed as Santa Claus. (Check out Clyde's Christmas list!) Chuck Jones fans will appreciate seeing one of his last Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote match-ups, and the only one with a winter theme.

Two very different Christmas movies followed the Looney Tunes. The House Without A Christmas Tree is a touching TV movie from 1972 about a young girl in 1946 whose gruff father, still grieving for her mother, won't allow her the titular decoration. My friend Linda Young has far more information on this film and the wonderful character of Addie at her Addie Mills site.

Ernest Saves Christmas, on the other hand, is all slapstick and sentiment. Ernest P. Worrell, of "Hey Vern!" fame, finds himself helping the one and only Santa Claus when he comes to Orlando, Florida to seek his replacement. This is one of the stronger Ernest vehicles (holidays seemed to bring something good out of Jim Varney - the Halloween-themed Ernest Scared Stupid was also fun), with a great finale and some nice gags.

Work was steady tonight but not too busy, especially towards the end. We had a lot of help. The new cashiers were starting tonight. In fact, I bagged for one and helped her figure out the gift card system.