Baking for Christopher

I'm on my way to school, but I wanted to stop and post this first. Let me tell you about a really important thing I've gotten involved in. It's called Operation Baking Gals. Basically, it's a bunch of bloggers (and non-bloggers) who've gotten together and are sending baked goods to soldiers wherever they are stationed. I know that when my friend J. (who just let me know he's engaged to a lovely woman YAY!) was stationed over in Iraq he loved getting food packages and would share the goodies and the morale boost with as many people as he could. J. is back now, so I haven't had anyone to bake for. Then I found out about this terrific group and every month there will be a new soldier to bake for.

This month my soldier is Christopher and he's in charge of a fairly big group of Junior soldiers. I'm not sure what Junior soldiers are. So for Christopher and his gang I made some gingersnaps, because they always make me think of home. I have no idea why they make me think of home because we never had any at my mom's house. Or my grandma's. I also made them some chocolate chip cookie bars. These were most likely found in my home growing up. I figure it's the least I can do to turn my oven on in this silly heat wave when these boys (and girls I'm assuming) are sweating their hineys off far from home.

Gingersnaps

from the Joy of Cooking

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

2 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

6 Tbsp butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup dark molasses

1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until very fluffy. Add egg, molasses, zest, and lemon juice and beat well until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until blended. Form the dough into 3/4 inch balls and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on lined cookie sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, about 12 minutes. The cookies will flatten and develop a crinkled suface as they bake. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool.