Old fashioned Molasses Cookies are darkly sweet and spicy with a soft and chewy texture. They're easy to make and freeze well, both baked and unbaked. You need to put these cookies into your regular baking rotation!
¼ to ½teaspoon(¼-½teaspoon)black pepper, freshly ground, see Recipe Notes
¼teaspoon(¼teaspoon)ground cardamom
¼teaspoon(¼teaspoon)ground cloves
½cup(114grams)unsalted butter, melted
⅓cup(112grams)molasses, not blackstrap
⅓cup(67grams)granulated sugar
⅓cup(73grams)light brown sugar, unpacked
1(50grams)large egg, at room temperature
½cup(60grams)powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Move the racks to the upper and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line two half sheet baking pans with Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, pepper, cardamom, and cloves until well combined.
In a separate bowl, beat together the melted butter, molasses, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and egg until smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 15 minutes.
Using a small cookie scoop, portion out 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Toss the ball in the powdered sugar, then knock off the excess sugar. Place the ball on the baking pan, flattening slightly with your fingertips.
Bake until the cookies are puffed and cracked, 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies will be soft.
Let cool on pan 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Storage instructions: These cookies keep well stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. You can freeze the uncoated dough balls to bake for later for up to 3 months. Allow the frozen dough ball to defrost on the counter for about 15 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar and bake at 350 °F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Recipe Notes
The more black pepper you use, the spicier the cookies will be. Choose the amount to suit your tastes.