Molasses Spice Cookies

My original plan for today's post was originally a toss-up between a new Moroccan recipe or a new Turkish recipe. But I've been working on job applications all morning and found myself snacking on cookies that I made last week. The problem with these cookies is that you can't eat just one--they disappear within two bites and before you know it, you've eaten half a dozen! Since that is precisely what just happened, I took that as a sign that I should blog about them instead of flipping a coin for more exotic recipes (look out for those over the next couple days). Thus, I present to you Molasses Spice Cookies.

I actually remember the first time I used this particular recipe. Will and I were at my house early in the summer of 2009, getting ready to go to our friend Shannon's house for a special dinner celebrating all of us who were leaving to study abroad that summer. Will had declared that he really loved simpler cookies, like spice cookies, over anything involving chips, and since we were under a time crunch, we found a recipe that fit the bill. Well it turned out to be one of the better cookie recipes I have ever tried and needless to say, the cookies were a hit at the "Bond Voyage!" party. (No actually they were-I just found the picture on Facebook with two comments about how good the cookies tasted). So if you're looking for an impressive recipe that is a little different than the standard batch of chocolate chip cookies, I highly recommend trying this one! With the exception of molasses, you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand if you bake regularly, and if not, all the spices are worth the investment!

Cooking Notes: I typically add a little nutmeg to this recipe, just to fill out the total spice profile. In general, I have messed around with the portions of spices, so feel free to add or take away spices as you please.

Molasses Spice Cookies (adapted from Simply Recipes; makes 5-6 dozen)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Make dough at least 1 hour in advance of baking, to allow time to chill.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses, beating until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat on the lowest speed until combined, about 1 minute.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place some sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Take a small ice cream scoop to gather dough. Roll into a ball, then roll in sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Once the sheet is ready and the oven is preheated, bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, cool on sheets for 2-3 minutes, then cool on racks. Enjoy!

Recipe: Simply Recipes: Molasses Spice Cookies

The original Bond Voyage molasses spice cookies!