Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies – crinkled on the outside, with rich molasses flavor, are a good old fashioned substitute for gingerbread cookies.
Old fashioned Molasses Cookies are a good substitute for gingerbread cookies (like my Amish Christmas Cookies). They use similar spice blend (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, vanilla, orange zest) with addition of blackstrap or light molasses. Blackstrap molasses has stronger flavor and a bit of bitterness, while light molasses imparts milder flavor.
Brown and white sugar make these cookies crispy on the outside, and underbaking makes them soft and chewy on the inside. Sometimes Molasses Cookies are iced, but these are just rolled in granulated sugar which, together with the addition of baking soda, is the reason for forming of nice crinkles on the surface, in the same way as on Lemon Crinkle Cookies.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3-4 teaspoons gingerbread spice
- zest of 1/2 orange
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup stick butter 3/4 ; 170 g
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar like Muscovado
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup molasses
- cup about 1/4 granulated sugar for rolling
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Combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
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In another bowl, mix butter with white and brown sugar until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix.
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Add molasses and mix for a few seconds.
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Add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
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Roll 1 tablespoon of dough at a time into balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart.
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Bake in preheated 375 F (175 C) oven for about 10 minutes. Take out of the oven when centers of cookies are still soft and edges have begun to set. Be careful not to overbake the cookies.
