First Ginger Molasses Cookies
Submitted by orphan
Chewy ginger molasses cookies with crackly, sugar-dusted tops and a warm hit of ginger and cinnamon. Brown sugar and molasses keep them soft in the center with crisp, sparkly edges.
YIELD
72 servingsPREP
90 minCOOK
15 minREADY
110 minThese are the chewy, soft-centered kind of ginger cookie, the ones with crackly tops and edges that sparkle with sugar. Molasses and brown sugar are the reason: both hold onto moisture, so the cookies bake up soft and stay that way for days.
Don’t skip the hour-long chill. Firming the butter in the dough keeps the cookies from spreading into thin, crisp wafers, giving you that thick, chewy bite instead.
Rolling each ball in granulated sugar before baking does more than sweeten. As the cookies puff and crack in the oven, the sugar coating crackles into that signature crinkled, frosted top.
Pull them the moment the edges start to brown, even if the centers look soft and underdone. They firm up as they cool, and that brief underbake is exactly what keeps the middles tender and chewy.
Chef Tips
- Chill the dough fully so the cookies stay thick and chewy instead of spreading flat.
- Roll generously in sugar for the crackliest, most frosted-looking tops.
- Pull them when the edges just brown; the soft-looking centers set as they cool.
- Store with a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft for days.
Variations
- Add a pinch of ground cloves or allspice for deeper holiday spice.
- Fold in chopped crystallized ginger for chewy bursts of heat.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie in white chocolate for a festive finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine flour, spices, soda, and salt.
With an electric mixer at medium-low speed, beat butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg and molasses.
Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture until just mixed.
Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Shape dough into approximately 1inch balls, roll in sugar, and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then move to wire racks.
Cool completely.
Comments
I roll these to about the size of walnuts then roll in sugar. I then bake for 10 minutes, until cracked and set. The result is a cookie that is nice and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Delicious.
Sean made a bunch of Snappy Ginger Snap Cookies last night, they turned out more ball-like with the crackles on top. Yours look very flat, love the lace ribbon that make the cookies look so pretty, perfect for gift, and they sure look delicious too :-)