Andrea tried this Molasses Spice Cookie recipe over ten years’ ago at a friend’s house on Christmas Eve and it’s her go-to recipe for Christmas cookies now. Slightly underbaked, with a hint of pepper, we’re sure you’ll love adding this recipe to your holiday baking routine.
Recipe from Cooks Illustrated, 2002.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 Cups flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1/3 Cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 Cup molasses, light or dark
- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup sugar for dipping in a shallow bowl.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, spices and salt in medium bowl, set aside.
- In standing mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium low and add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Add molasses, beat until incorporated, scraping bottom and sides as needed.Reduce to lowest setting, add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. (Dough will be soft)
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough mixture and roll between palms into a 1 and 1/2 inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in sugar to coat and set on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will still look raw and underdone in cracks) about 11 minutes. Do not overbake!
- Cool cookies on sheet 5 minutes, then use spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack, cool to room temperature.