Soft Ginger Cookies with Orange Glaze

1 c Buttermilk

2 ts Baking soda

3/4 c Vegetable oil

1 c Sugar

1 c Dark molasses

2 Eggs

3 3/4 c All purpose flour

1 t Salt

2 ts Ground cinnamon

1 t Ground ginger

1 t Grated nutmeg

1/2 ts Ground allspice

1/2 ts Ground cloves

-----GLAZE----- 2 c Plus 1 Tbsp confectioners

-sugar 1 tb Butter (very soft)

1/4 c Orange juice

2 ts Grated orange zest

1/2 ts Vanilla extract

ds Salt

In a small bowl combine buttermilk and baking soda and set aside. They will foam up. In a larger bowl combine oil, sugar,molasses and eggs and beat until well mixed (about 1 minute). Add the buttermilk mixture and blend. Sift together dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Let mixture stand 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto oiled cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes until the top springs back when touched with your finger. Do Not overbake. The cookies should be quite soft. While cookies are baking combine glaze ingredients. Remove cookies to wax paper lined wire rack. Frost while warm with 1/2 tsp of glaze for each cookie. Let cool completely. Transfer to trays and place in freezer to completely set if neccesary or to freeze for storage. Once frozen pack in tins in single layers seperated by wax paper. These freeze well. David Monteith [email protected]