Ginger Molasses Cookies

These ginger cookies are spiced aggressively, and that’s exactly the point. Four teaspoons of ground ginger, two of cloves, two of cinnamon, plus molasses and corn syrup in the dough. The result is a cookie with real heat and warmth, not some timid hint of spice hiding behind sugar.

The dough uses both butter and shortening. Butter brings flavor. Shortening brings tenderness and keeps the cookies from spreading too thin. Together they create a cookie that holds its round shape with those signature crackled tops.

Rolling each ball in cinnamon sugar before baking gives the surface a sparkly, spiced crust that shatters slightly when you bite through. The cracking happens because the sugary exterior sets before the center, and as the dough expands, the surface splits into those gorgeous fault lines.

Here’s where you get to choose your own adventure: pull them at 8 minutes for soft, chewy centers with a barely-set middle, or let them go the full 10 for a crisp gingersnap.

Pro Tips

• Don’t sift the flour. The recipe specifically says not to, and sifting changes the ratio. Just stir the dry ingredients to blend.
• Roll smooth, tight balls. Cracks in the dough before baking mean the cinnamon sugar won’t coat evenly.
• Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring. They’re fragile right out of the oven.

Variations

• Add ½ cup of finely chopped crystallized ginger to the dough for pockets of intense, spicy-sweet bite.
• Drizzle cooled cookies with a thin lemon glaze for a citrus contrast to the warm spices.
• Flatten the balls slightly before baking for a thinner, crispier cookie.