Yield: about 30 small or 20 large cookies
Recipe: 29/200
“Back to Baking”, pp. 20
I have said this about a couple of desserts thus far, but true and honest, I have never really like molasses cookies. Actually, I don’t think I ever really tried anything with molasses (even by itself!), but it was always something that looked highly unappealing to me. However, I did this recipe because I wanted to make cookies and, quite simply, I hadn’t made these ones yet. As I was preparing to make them, my roommate who was passing by asked what I was doing and ensuing my answer exclaimed that she loves molasses cookies. So I figured that at least one of us would eat them. As I opened the oven to take out the cookies, I was already disappointed. The cookies had expanded more than I thought an unbaked cookie could expand. They were pretty much all joined together. For future reference, I will spoon out a teaspoon of cookie dough on the baking sheet as opposed to a tablespoon. After I let them cool down, I tasted one and was neither surprised nor disappointed. Since I already knew that I didn’t like molasses cookies, I found them to be “okay”. Which is more than I can say for most molasses cookies I’ve tried.
However, the next day my trusty food tester and roommate declared that these cookies are succulent and delicious. Although she did say that these have more ground ginger than what she is used to, she said that they taste like a mix of other molasses cookies and gingerbread cake! After she commented that she had to restrain herself from eating all of them, I thought one of two things: 1) She really loves molasses cookies or 2) Maybe I misjudged these cookies. Being a scientific, I had no choice but to verify my initial conclusion. I had another cookie and, to my great surprise and pleasure, I really enjoyed it. I am not generally someone that will like something just because someone else likes it, so I think I really do like them after that first time. Actually, I must admit that I had a couple since then. They are moist, rich and indeed do taste a bit like gingerbread cake! The special touch of the sugar on the surface of the cookies is delightful. Good job, food tester! Due to my friend I was reminded of a lesson I once learned: give new foods a second chance!
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe Basic Brown Sugar Dough
- ¼ cup fancy molasses
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅓ cup sugar (for rolling cookies)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Follow step 1 of the basic brown sugar cookie dough recipe. Add the molasses and stir to combine.
- Follow step 2 of the cookie dough recipe.
- Continue with step 3, but add the spices (ginger, cinnamon and cloves) with the flour, whisking well to blend the ingredients.
- Finish the recipe by doing step 4.
- Drop a teaspoon of cookie dough in the sugar and roll them to coat the surface. Place them on the lined baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2 inches in between each cookie. For larger cookies, spoon out a tablespoon of dough.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool the cookies for 10 minutes before moving to a baking tray to cool down.
Valerie
Valerie 
Really enjoying your blog Valerie. I love hearing other peoples experiences with recipes I haven’t tried myself. It gives me a lot to work with and makes my own screw ups seem less crushing! Something I’ve found that works really well for me when I’m baking cookies (even if it’s a recipe I’ve used before) is to only put a half dozen or so on the first sheet so I can see how much they spread while they’re baking. If they spread too much you can chill the dough a little bit and that’s usually enough to get them to keep their shape in the oven.
Thank you Sharon, what a nice comment! I feel exactly the same way. Whenever I try something new that seems a bit complex or out of my comfort zone, I take the time to read other people’s instructions and tips, it helps a lot! That’s a great tip, thanks for that. 🙂