Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Before you start

Chewy molasses cookies are soft-centered spice cookies with a crackled, sparkling top. They differ from rolled gingerbread in almost every proportion: more fat, more sugar, more baking soda and less flour. Melted butter and dark brown sugar keep them moist, and a generous dose of baking soda reacts with the acidic molasses so the cookies puff in the oven and then sink into the crinkled surface.

Roll the balls in coarse sugar for a crunchy, glittering finish that contrasts with the soft middle. A little freshly grated ginger alongside the ground spice gives a sharper heat that dried ginger alone cannot. As with most chewy cookies, they leave the oven while the centers still look underdone.

Ingredients

• Dough280 g (2¼ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter — melted and cooled
• 150 g (¾ cup packed) dark brown sugar
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 85 g (¼ cup) unsulphured molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger — optional but recommended
• Coating60 g (¼ cup) turbinado or coarse sanding sugar

Method

1. Melt the butter and let it cool for about 10 minutes, until warm but not hot.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar, granulated sugar and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the egg and grated ginger.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula just until no flour shows. The dough will be soft and shiny.
5. Cover and chill for 1 hour, until firm enough to roll. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line the sheets with parchment.
6. Roll the dough into 45 g balls, then roll each in the coarse sugar. Set 9 on each sheet, at least 6 cm (2½ in) apart; they spread.
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have cracked but the centers still look soft and a little raw between the cracks.
8. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. The centers settle and turn chewy as they cool.

Tips for success

• For deeper cracks, roll the balls in granulated sugar first and then in the coarse sugar.
• Chilling longer than overnight gives thicker cookies with a stronger spice flavor.
• Spray the measuring cup lightly with oil before measuring molasses so it slides out cleanly.

Substitutions

Dark brown sugar

Light brown sugar works; the cookies will be a little less moist and less dark.

Fresh ginger

Leave it out and use 1 tbsp ground ginger total, or add 2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger for chewy bites of heat.

Molasses

Dark treacle substitutes directly. Do not use blackstrap alone; its bitterness overwhelms the spices.

Variations

Molasses cookies with white chocolate

Fold 120 g chopped white chocolate into the dough. The sweetness softens the spice.

Ice cream sandwiches

Freeze pairs of cooled cookies with softened vanilla ice cream between them for 2 hours before serving.

Troubleshooting

Cookies are flat and greasy

The butter was still hot when mixed or the dough was not chilled. Cool the butter to warm and chill the dough for the full hour.

Few or no crackles on top

The baking soda may be old, or the balls were too cold and small. Use fresh soda, 45 g balls and a full roll in sugar.

Cookies harden by the next day

They were baked too long. Pull them while the centers look underdone and store them airtight.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze sugar-coated dough balls and bake from frozen with 1 to 2 extra minutes.

Safety notes

Do not eat the raw dough; it contains raw flour and raw egg. Contains wheat, egg and milk.