Molasses Cookies

Merry Christmas Eve! I've never made molasses cookies before, but I finally did because my husband likes them. This was a great recipe to try for the first time! They are easy to make, and have a wonderfully soft and chewy texture. You can taste the molasses, too. He took some to work to share and they enjoyed them there, too. 

Molasses Cookies 

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4 cups (568 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups (340 g) salted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup molasses
Sugar for rolling

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a couple large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), beat together the butter and granulated sugar, 2-3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the molasses and eggs and mix until well-combined, another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

4.  The dough can be rolled and baked right away, but the cookies will be slightly thicker and chewier if refrigerated for a bit. If so, chill for 20-30 minutes (or up to several days) before rolling into balls.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (you can make them smaller or larger, too) and then roll the cookie dough balls into granulated sugar. Space the cookies an inch or so apart on the lined cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes (don’t over bake if you want a soft, chewy cookie). Adjust the baking time, more or less, if the cookies are overly small or large.

5.  Remove the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely. These cookies stay soft and chewy well-covered for several days at room temperature and the baked cookies also freeze very well.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **