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Filled Molasses Cookies

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Submitted by polkie

Filled molasses cookies are old-fashioned sandwich cookies with rolled molasses dough hugging a sweet cooked date filling. A Depression-era cookie jar staple with deep flavor.

YIELD

24 servings

PREP

30 min

COOK

45 min

READY

75 min

Filled molasses cookies are the kind of recipe that traveled across America in handwritten cookbooks from grandmother to grandchild. The technique is two-part: roll out a molasses-spiced dough, cut into rounds, fill with a cooked date paste, and sandwich them together before baking.

The sandwich technique is what makes these unforgettable. As the cookies bake, the date filling melts into the dough and the edges seal, creating a single soft cookie with a surprise sweet center. Each one is a little parcel of caramel-dark dates wrapped in spicy molasses dough.

Dissolving the baking soda in hot water before adding it is the old-school move that ensures even leavening through a sticky molasses dough. Soda mixed directly into the dry ingredients can leave bitter pockets where it doesn’t fully dissolve.

Using cake flour gives the cookies a more tender, biscuit-like crumb that complements the dense date filling. All-purpose flour works in a pinch but produces a chewier, denser cookie.

The lemon extract in the filling is the small detail that lifts the dates from one-note-sweet to layered and complex. The bright citrus note cuts through the molasses and date heaviness, keeping the cookies from feeling cloying.

Pro Tips

  • Roll the dough thin (⅛ inch) for the right cookie-to-filling ratio, thick cookies overwhelm the filling
  • Use a moist filling, the date paste should be spreadable, not stiff, or it won’t merge with the dough during baking
  • Press the edges firmly with a fork to seal, otherwise the filling leaks out during baking
  • Cool completely before stacking, warm cookies stick together and the filling can ooze out

Variations

  • Swap dates for a thick raisin or fig filling for different fruit profiles
  • Add a teaspoon of ground ginger or cinnamon to the dough for spicier molasses cookies
  • Brush warm cookies with a thin lemon glaze for a sweeter, brighter finish

Ingredients

cookies
¾ 177
CUP ML BROWN SUGAR *
¾ 177
½ 118
CUP ML MOLASSES
79
CUP ML WATER
hot
2 10
TEASPOONS ML BAKING SODA
2 10
TEASPOONS ML VANILLA EXTRACT
1 5
TEASPOON ML SALT
4 946
CUPS ML CAKE FLOUR
filling
½ 118
CUP ML WATER
1 237
CUP ML SUGAR
1 1
PACKAGE PACKAGE DATE *
1 5
TEASPOON ML LEMON EXTRACT *

Directions

Cookies: Cream sugar and shortening, add molasses and vanilla.

Dissolve soda in hot water and add alternately with flour and salt.

Roll thin.

Cut with cookie cutter and spread filling on one cookie and put another cookie on top and press edges together.

Bake in a moderate oven (350 - 375℉ (190℃) F).

Filling: Cook until thick and cool.

Note: Can be Frozen.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 47g (1.7 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 817 1% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 884mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 63%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Sugars g
Protein 22g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 11% Iron 67%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free
 

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