Today, for no reason at all, I made my all time favorite cookie recipe: Molasses Spice Cookies. I got the recipe from my America's Test Kitchen family baking cook book, my all time favorite cookbook.
My secret to making these cooking so amazingly tasty: premium spices. One of the best gifts I have ever gotten from my mom was this box of baking spices from Penzley spices. (I have also seen them at savory) The cookies taste great with grocery store spices, but investing in high quality spices really brings cooking and baking to the next level. It's the secret that leaves those eating your food asking "what did you do to make these so good."
The last thing I love about these cookies: they are rolled in sugar before they get baked. It makes for an amazingly crispy crust and a bite of sugar to balance the intense spices.
Molasses Spice Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients
Heat oven to 375⁰ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 1/2 cup sugar into a shallow dish for rolling.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda (or baking powder for round, tall cookies), spices, pepper, and salt together.
in a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Beat in the molasses until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
Slowly add the flour mixture until combined (dough will be soft).
Working with medium size balls, roll the dough into sugar to coat. Lay the balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes and allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Yield: 24 cookies Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup molasses
Heat oven to 375⁰ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 1/2 cup sugar into a shallow dish for rolling.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda (or baking powder for round, tall cookies), spices, pepper, and salt together.
in a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Beat in the molasses until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
Slowly add the flour mixture until combined (dough will be soft).
Working with medium size balls, roll the dough into sugar to coat. Lay the balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes and allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book