These spicy cookies are not for the faint hearted. They have a lovely zip that is perfect in the Fall or Winter with a cup of tea. If you do not like ginger, these babies are not for you. If you are a ginger lover, well then you are very welcome! If you are somewhere in between, eliminate the candied ginger and consider cutting the spices in half.
Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies
These spicy cookies are not for the faint hearted. They have a lovely zip that is perfect in the Fall or Winter with a cup of tea. If you do not like ginger, these babies are not for you. If you are a ginger lover, well then you are very welcome! If you are somewhere in between, eliminate the candied ginger and consider cutting the spices in half.
Nutrition
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside ¼ cup sugar in small bowl.
- Whisk together starch, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cloves in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in molasses until incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Add craisins and candied ginger.
- Roll one tablespoon of dough into a ball, then roll in sugar that was set aside. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, spaced two inches apart. (At this point, you can freeze cookie balls. Once hardened, transfer to a Ziploc bag.)*
- Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be set, and the top cracked but center will be soft and a little underdone.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
Notes
If baking from frozen cookie balls, add 2 to 3 minutes cooking time.
Reader Q&A:
Q: If we omit the cranberries would we need to make any other changes to the instructions? A: No — just adjust the phe.
Q: Just made these and they spread quite thin and were crunchy. Tasted great but was hoping for a chewier texture. Would cooling them before baking help? Or just reducing cook time by a minute or two? Thanks. A: They should be a chewy texture. Did you weigh the ingredients or do cup measurements (I highly recommend weighing). Did the first batch spread too much? If so, you can try putting the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking because if the butter was too soft, they will spread more. To this day I tend to do one test cookie before baking. If the batter spreads too much, I add an extra 2 tablespoons of wheat starch and try again. If it is still too much, I add another 2 tablespoons. If they spread too little and are like golf balls, I add a tablespoon or two of water.
Q: If we omit the cranberries would we need to make any other changes to the instructions? A: No — just adjust the phe.
Q: Just made these and they spread quite thin and were crunchy. Tasted great but was hoping for a chewier texture. Would cooling them before baking help? Or just reducing cook time by a minute or two? Thanks. A: They should be a chewy texture. Did you weigh the ingredients or do cup measurements (I highly recommend weighing). Did the first batch spread too much? If so, you can try putting the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking because if the butter was too soft, they will spread more. To this day I tend to do one test cookie before baking. If the batter spreads too much, I add an extra 2 tablespoons of wheat starch and try again. If it is still too much, I add another 2 tablespoons. If they spread too little and are like golf balls, I add a tablespoon or two of water.
