Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
In short: Chewy ginger cookies spiced with cinnamon and cloves and rolled in sugar, with dark molasses for color and a crackled top. It takes about 30 min in total and makes 24 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Resting
- 45 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 24
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 130 kcal
Soft ginger cookies sit between gingerbread and a snap cookie. Molasses gives them a dark color, a faint bitterness and the chewy middle, while ginger, cinnamon, cloves and a little black pepper bring a warm spice that builds as you eat. Rolling the dough in sugar produces the crackled, sparkly top. They are easy to mix, keep well for a week and are a standard of winter holiday baking.
Instructions
- Beat the butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the molasses, until smooth.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt together. Stir them into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
- Cover and chill the dough for 45 minutes, until firm enough to roll.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the rolling sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Roll the dough into balls of about 30 g, then roll each one in the sugar. Place them 6 cm (2 1/2 in) apart.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tops crack and the edges look set but the middles are still soft.
- Leave the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely.
Tips
- Do not overbake. Pull the cookies while the middles look puffy and slightly underdone, or the chewy center turns crisp.
- No molasses? Dark treacle is a direct substitute. For a milder cookie, use maple syrup plus 1 extra tablespoon of brown sugar.
Questions and answers
Why are my ginger molasses cookies hard?
They were overbaked or the flour was over-measured. Pull them when the tops are cracked but the middles look soft, and weigh the flour.
Can I add crystallized ginger?
Yes. Fold in 2 tablespoons of finely chopped crystallized ginger for chewy pockets of heat.
How long do ginger molasses cookies last?
They stay soft for 5 to 7 days in an airtight container and taste better after a day as the spices settle. They freeze well for 3 months.
How long does it take to make Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies?
About 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies?
About 130 kcal per serving, with 1 g of protein, 19 g of carbohydrates and 5 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 130 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Sodium | 130 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
