Molasses Cookies | SugarCreekJournal

Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies

If you're looking for a quick and easy treat to whip up in a pinch to take to any family gathering or work party this holiday season, these cookies are perfect! They have a timeless flavor, and a taste like something Grandma would make. All while using ingredients that most of us keep stocked in our pantry, these cookies are a breeze to mix together and bake!

A few tips before we start:

Be generous with your measurements! This is a very forgiving recipe, which means there's really no such thing as too much of anything. Obviously, don't go overboard - but I usually use heaping teaspoons of all named spices.
Use what you know about your oven. These cookies come out perfectly chewy and soft when I bake them for exactly 11 minutes. I'd say anywhere between 11-14 minutes would work for most ovens. I know that my oven tends to be a little hotter than average, so a lesser bake time works best for me.
If you like more of a holiday spice flavor, feel free to add pinch of cloves - but just a pinch! Unlike my first tip, a little bit goes a long way with this particular ingredient.
For a tiny bit of crisp around the edges, just bake them on a greased cookie sheet. For a more softer cookie all the way around, bake them on parchment paper.

What you'll need

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (rolling)

Let's Get Baking

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees - prepare your baking sheet (see tips above for preferred methods) and set aside.

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or using your hand mixer) beat together butter, molasses, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Combine well.

Slowly add in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt (cloves as well, if you choose to add this spice).

With clean hands, pull off pieces of dough, and form into small balls, about the size of a tablespoon. Dump granulated sugar on a plate, and roll each ball in the sugar until lightly coated completely.

Place cookies about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven for 11-14 minutes. When done baking, remove cookies immediately from the hot pan and place onto a wire rack to cool.

Once cooled, they're ready to enjoy! Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days.