Cookies with Ginger and Molasses

Introduction

The molasses and brown sugar give these cookies a deep, dark sweetness, and the 11-minute bake keeps the centers soft under the cracked tops. You get a large batch that works for holiday baking, sharing, or freezing for later.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 33 minutes
• Total Time: 58 minutes
• Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 180 g (¾ cup) butter, softened
• 500 g (2 cups) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 60 ml (¼ cup) molasses
• 10 g (2 tsp) baking soda
• 600 g (2½ cups) flour
• 2.5 g (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
• 5 g (1 tsp) ground ginger
• 5 g (1 tsp) ground cloves
• 2.5 g (½ tsp) salt
• Extra sugar for coating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F or Gas Mark 4).
2. Cream the butter and the sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric whisk.
3. Beat in the egg, and stir in the molasses.
4. Combine the baking soda, flour, spices, and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Gently mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture to make a dough.
6. Shape into small (2.5 cm/1 inch diameter) balls and roll in granulated sugar.
7. Place on greased cookie sheet. Do not flatten balls. They will spread out a little bit during baking, so space them about 1.5-2 inches apart.
8. Bake for about 11 minutes. One way to tell they are done is when the cookies are cracked but the dough inside the cracks doesn’t look quite finished. Beyond that they will be too done.
9. Remove pan from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Variations

• Change the extra sugar for coating to coarse sugar if you want more crunch and a more defined sugary crust.
• Chill the dough for 30 minutes before shaping if your kitchen is warm; the cookies will spread less and bake up slightly thicker.
• Replace 150 g of the flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor and a slightly firmer texture.
• Reduce the ground cloves from 5 g to 2.5 g if you want the ginger and molasses to come through more clearly.
• Replace 250 g of the brown sugar with granulated sugar for a lighter flavor and a less chewy cookie.

Tips for Success

• Use softened butter, not melted butter, or the dough will spread too fast in the oven.
• Mix the baking soda, flour, spices, and salt well in the separate bowl so the spice and lift are evenly distributed.
• Keep the dough balls close to the stated 2.5 cm size so the 11-minute bake time stays accurate.
• Pull the cookies when the tops are cracked but the centers still look slightly underdone in those cracks; they finish setting as they cool.

Storage and Reheating

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.

To reheat, warm a cookie in the microwave for 5 to 8 seconds for a softer center, or place several cookies in a 150°C oven for 3 to 4 minutes. If frozen, thaw at room temperature before reheating.

FAQ

Can you make the dough ahead of time?

Yes. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours before shaping and baking.

Why didn’t the cookies crack on top?

The oven may not have been fully preheated, or the dough may have had too much flour. Warm dough can also spread before the surface sets.

Can you use blackstrap molasses?

You can, but the cookies will taste more bitter and less balanced. Standard molasses gives a rounder flavor.

Can you make these without cloves?

Yes. Leave them out for a milder cookie, or replace that amount with more cinnamon or ginger if you still want a full spice profile.