Molasses Spice Cookies
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Cookies
Yield: 40 cookies
Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup demerera or granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
  2. Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl, if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and molasses, and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients, pulsing the mixer on and off until the dry ingredients are incorporated enough that they won't puff out of the bowl, then mix on low until just combined.
  3. Turn the dough out into an airtight container (or cover the mixing bowl in plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or better yet, overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
  5. Add the demerera or granulated sugar to a small bowl. Use a #50 cookie scoop to portion out the dough, then roll each ball of dough between your palms until it's round. Roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar. Arrange the cookies on the prepped pans, 12 cookies to a pan. Use the bottom of a water glass to flatten the cookies (dip the bottom in the bowl of sugar if it starts to stick to the cookies).
  6. Bake for 7-9 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, or until the cookies are puffy and cracked but still quite soft. (They'll deflate while cooling.) Wait 2-3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.
  7. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
A #50 cookie scoop has a capacity of about 1 1/2 tablespoons; if you don't have that size cookie scoop, something in that neighborhood can be substituted, just adjust the cook time accordingly. I've rolled these cookies in granulated sugar, fine demerera sugar (coarser than granulated, but not huge crystals) and coarse demerera sugar; I recommend all but the latter.
Recipe by A Modest Feast at http://www.amodestfeast.com/2016/11/03/molasses-spice-cookies/