Mom’s Molasses Cookies
This winter feels like it has been much colder than any other I can remember in the eight plus years I’ve lived in Brooklyn. The frigid air and the rushed steps from apartment to train, train to office, and back again, have me in a bit of a funk, to be honest. It’s hard to feel like keeping plans or even making a quick trip to the store down the street when leaving the apartment requires self-mummification. So much endless wrapping and unwrapping, so many lip balm applications, so much wool, it’s exhausting. Even the very cute mittens that the boyfriend bought me for Christmas are failing to do the trick at this point. So I’m a bit hermit-y these days.
If I’m going to be housebound, though, I’m at least going to make sure that my house smells good. This is my mom’s molasses cookie recipe, with a few small updates. My mom made these every winter of my childhood. The scent of baking molasses and ginger wafting from the oven makes me feel like I’m seven years old, in the best possible way. They are simple to make and they’re the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. I defy you to keep them around for more than a couple of days. In fact, I’d encourage you to make a double batch. (Or just make a new batch the next time you need another antidote to your own cabin fever.)
Mom’s Molasses Cookies
¼ cup shortening**
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
¼ cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large egg
coarse decorating sugar
**I know shortening is bad, and I probably shouldn’t use it, and in fact, the original recipe calls for way more of it, which I’ve replaced with butter, but they’re just not quite the right crispy/chewy ratio without this little bit!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in one bowl. Add molasses and egg, and stir until combined. Sift together flour, baking soda, and spices in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet, a little at a time, until all are incorporated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a spoon, scoop out one big spoonful at a time of the dough, shape into a ball, and roll through the coarse sugar. (You can use regular granulated sugar if that’s all you have.) Place cookie on parchment-lined baking sheet, and flatten a bit. Repeat until the tray is full, leaving ample space between the dough so that they don’t run into each other when they expand.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. You want them to be crispy at the edges, chewy in the middle.
Yields: 24 cookies
Time to make: 15 mins for prep, 30 mins total baking time for all batches
Note: These also freeze well if you flash freeze. After they’ve cooled, put the cookies, still on the tray, into the freezer until just frozen. You can then store them in freezer bags and they won’t stick to each other.
Reader Comments
wow… i wish i’d read this entry yesterday, BEFORE i made boring old cookies that are not these.
I think this is an excellant recipe. I have however, made a few minor changes due to a prefence for soft, chewy cookies,(okay, maybe a bit richer i.e. fattening, but a fabulous molasses flavor!)
I substituted the unsalted butter and shortening for 3/4 cup (half butter and half margarine)Added 1/2 teaspoon of salt to enhance flavors and increased the sugar to 1 cup