Molasses Spice Cookies

The holiday season is upon us and that means gingerbread! Well, now you can satisfy your taste bud's urge for gingerbread with these molasses spice cookies. I love using molasses in recipes for whatever reason, maybe because it's such an old fashioned ingredient. I put it in my barbecue sauce, pancakes, cookies, baked beans, and on top of meatloaf. It is a natural sweetener while also being a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and copper. So, indulge!

Makes 3-1/2 dozen

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup of the sugar in a shallow dish for coating and set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, pepper, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes.

4. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the molasses until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds (the dough will be soft). Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is combined.

6. Using wet hands, roll 2 Tbsp. of dough at a time into balls, then roll in the sugar to coat and lay on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.

7. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and the tops are cracked but the centers are still soft and underdone, 10-12 minutes.

8. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Comments

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