All Curled Up: Chewy Molasses Cookies

Greetings and salutations from the land of butter, sugar and flour.  My little green kitchen is in the throes of a baking marathon, so the next few posts are going to be about cookies and sweet things.  Hope you don't mind.  Yeah, didn't think so.  Lest you think I'm living on cookie dough alone, I've also been throwing together hearty soups and stews, though by the time I sit down to dinner the winter light has faded earlier and earlier, thus no snaps of my turkey and cabbage pottage, which tastes much better than it sounds.  I scribbled down a few notes so it may make an appearance here in January, when none of us want to go near anything with a carb.  But (thankfully) we're not there yet, are we?  

The first cookie out of the gate is of the chewy molasses variety.  Every good baker worth his/her spatula should have a recipe in their arsenal.  You want it just crispy enough around the edges, but with a tender, soft middle.  I personally think gingersnaps should be outlawed - crispy cookies and me just don't get along.  And I'm not much of a dunker, so biscotti is wasted on me.  But the chewy cookie.  Oh, I know this cookie all too well.  We go way, way back, through good times and bad.  This time of year, it's all about the molasses cookie.  I mostly wanted to bake these so my house would smell of Christmas.  Spiked with spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves, I pretty much succeeded.  A little Boney M Christmas album also helped the cause.  Seriously.  This video!  

I think the best part about these cookies is just how pretty they look after they are rolled in sugar.  It's worth searching for coarse sugar or sanding sugar, but in a pinch the less attractive cousin granulated white will make do.  Over-baked cookies will not be chewy, so keep an eye on the timer.  And if you think they seem too soft at 8 or 9 minutes - don't worry, they'll set up.  Another bonus feature is that these cookies stay soft for days - perks if you plan on sending them cross country.  

Curled up on the couch, with a cup of my favourite tea and a cookie or two (and a cat or three), it's a grand way to usher in a little holiday spirit. 

 Chewy Molasses Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup organic cane sugar (or granulated white)
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
coarse sugar or raw sugar for rolling


Preheat oven to 375*F.  Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.  Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Whisk well.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream egg, butter, sugar and molasses until light - about 2 minutes.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Place coarse sugar in shallow bowl.  Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake cookies, rotating baking  sheets halfway through, until cookies are puffed, cracked and just set around edges, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks, let cool.  {Dough can be made and rolled into balls 2 weeks ahead:  freeze on baking sheet; transfer to resealable plastic bag.  Let sit at room temp before rolling in sugar.  Proceed.}  Makes roughly 30 cookies.  Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2013.