When it comes to desserts, Martha Stewart is a big believer that the best sweet treats are the ones you make with your own hands. Of course, if you're Stewart, they are, which is why you may want to borrow the boozy ingredient she uses to elevate molasses spice cookies . Stewart's recipe uses the standard spices you'd expect in a molasses cookie — ginger, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves — but to bring a rich depth of flavor to this treat, she adds some alcohol to the mix in the form of rum.
The cookbook author and entrepreneur shared that these fall-inspired cookies are a modern-era version of the popular 18th-century New England favorite dubbed Joe Froggers. If you are unfamiliar, these cookies' origin story began in Marblehead, Massachusetts and gained the moniker thanks to Joseph Brown, a free African American man who served in the Revolutionary War, according to New England . Brown owned a tavern where his wife, Lucretia, invented these cookies made in an iron skillet.
When the batter ran, it created shapes that often looked like frogs. Why use rum in cookies? One of the most distinctive attributes of a Joe Frogger cookie is how long it is able to retain its freshness. This is largely due to the absence of eggs, but no eggs also means less moisture.
This is where rum gets to show off. Adding rum to the batter imparts both moisture and a woody flavor and smell to these cookies. Rum, especially dark rum, has rich, smoky notes that do not overwhelm baked goods but rather.
