Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                     teacup molasses or black treacle
  7             ounces  light brown sugar
  9        tablespoons  cocoa powder
  10            ounces  butter or margarine -- softened
  1              pinch  cinnamon
  1           teaspoon  vanilla
  1              pound  plain flour -- (approximately)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix all of the ingredients together, except for the flour. Add the flour slowly to the rest of the mixture until it reaches the right consistency to roll out. The dough should be quite soft. (You may find it easier to knead it with your hands.) Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and cut into decorative shapes with small cookie cutters, a sharp knife or the rim of a glass. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven while they are still soft and cool on a rack, then pack into crocks or jars. The authors note that the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers made these at Thanksgiving and stored them in a stoneware crock until Christmas. The cookies can be made at any time, but allowed to age for 4-6 weeks. They can be used as a substitute for graham crackers for a pie crust.

Nutritional Information:

2903 Calories (kcal); 237g Total Fat; (69% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 221g Carbohydrate; 621mg Cholesterol; 2429mg Sodium