Sarahs Favorite Molasses Spice Cookies Recipes

SOFT AND CHEWY MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add the butter, brown and white sugars to a large mixing bowl. Use either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. If you have a standing mixer then use the paddle attachment.
• Beat the butter and the sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy-about 3-minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the egg yolk and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until blended-about 20-30 seconds.
• Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses. Beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds.
• Set a large mesh strainer over the mixing bowl and add the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Sift the mixture down into the batter and give it a stir with your spatula (stirring the flour in a bit will prevent it from flying out of the bowl when you start the mixer.)
• Place the mixer on the lowest setting and beat just until the flour is completely blended.
• Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon and shape the dough in your hands forming 1-1/2 inch balls.
• Add the course sugar to a shallow dish. Roll the balls in the sugar and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave space between each cookie.
• Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until they are browned, puffed up and the edges have begun to set while the centers are soft-about 11 minutes.
• The cookies will have those beautiful cracks and appear to be undercooked. Do not over bake, they will continue baking from residual heat once removed from the oven.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES WITH DARK RUM GLAZE

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 375. Spread 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow dish for coating. Set aside. Whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, pepper and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Beat butter, brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup sugar together in a large bowl using an elecctric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 inutes. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the molasses until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down the side of the bowl and bveater as needed.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. (Dough will be soft.) Give the dough a final stir with a rubhger spatula to make sure it is combinewd.
• Using wet hands, roll 2 T. dough at a time into balls, then roll in the sugar to coat. Lay on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a tim, until edges set and tops are cracked but centers are still soft and underdone. (Peek thru cracks to check centers.) It's about 10-12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway thru baking.
• Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes. You can serve them at this point or transfer to a wire rack, cooling completely before putting on the rum glaze.
• To make glaze, just mix the confectioners sugar and rum together until smooth. Drizzle it over the cooled cookies. Let set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• NOTE: if you want to make these w/o the rum glaze, you could also use a variation that has orange essence in it. Just add 1 t. grated orange zest to the dough when you add the molasses. Process 2/3 cup sugar with 2 t. grated orange zest in a food processor until fragrance, about 10 seconds. Use that for rolling instead of the plain white sugar.

SARAH'S FAVORITE MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat shortening at medium speed with electric mixer untill fluffy; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses; mix well.
• Combine flour,baking soda, salt and spices, mix well. Add one fourth of flour mixture at a time to creamed mixture, beating untill smooth after each addition. cover and chill 1 hour.
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in additional sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes, tops will crack. Remove to wire racks to cool.