Soft and Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies
These soft and chewy molasses spice cookies have crisp, sugar-coated edges, crinkled tops, and tender centers. Dark molasses and plenty of warm spice give them a rich, old-fashioned flavor.
Servings: 24 Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter 170 grams, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 70 grams
- ⅓ cup brown sugar 70 grams
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses I use Grandma’s
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 300 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup coarse sugar (to roll the cookies in)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the butter, brown and white sugars to a large mixing bowl. Use either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. If you have a standing mixer then use the paddle attachment.
- Beat the butter and the sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy—about 3-minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the egg yolk and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until blended—about 20-30 seconds.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses. Beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds.
- Set a large mesh strainer over the mixing bowl and add the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Sift the mixture down into the batter and give it a stir with your spatula (stirring the flour in a bit will prevent it from flying out of the bowl when you start the mixer.)
- Place the mixer on the lowest setting and beat just until the flour is completely blended.
- Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon and shape the dough in your hands forming 1 ½ inch balls.
- Add the course sugar to a shallow dish. Roll the balls in the sugar and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until they are browned, puffed up and the edges have begun to set while the centers are soft—about 11 minutes.
- The cookies will have those beautiful cracks and appear to be undercooked. Do not over bake, they will continue baking from residual heat once removed from the oven.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Video
Notes
Sift the dry ingredients: Sifting breaks up any lumps in the baking soda and spices and helps distribute them evenly through the dough.
Oil the measuring cup: Lightly coat the measuring cup with oil before adding the molasses so it slides out easily.
Expect a soft dough: The cookie dough will be soft. Mix only until the flour is incorporated.
Regular sugar works too: Regular granulated sugar can be used in place of the coarse sugar, although the coating won’t have quite as much crunch or sparkle.
Bake one sheet at a time: For the most even baking, place one sheet of cookies at a time in the center of the oven. Portion and sugar-coat the next batch while the first one bakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 126mg | Sugar: 6g
