Molasses spiced cookies

The right cookies to make Santa feel warm and cozy. He is sure to forget about the snow.

Ingredients

2 1⁄4 c flour (all purpose flour)

2 t baking soda

1⁄2 t salt

1 1⁄2 t cinnamon (ground cinnamon)

1 t ginger (ground ginger)

3⁄4 t clove (ground clove)

1⁄4 T allspice (ground)

12 T butter (unsalted butter, softened, about 1 1/2 sticks)

1⁄2 c sugar (dark brown sugar, packed)

1⁄2 c sugar (granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling)

1 egg (large)

1 t vanilla extract

1⁄3 c molasses (blackstrap molasses)

Instructions

Adjust your oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 375° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices then set aside.

Cream the butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until fluffy; it will take about 3 minutes. Scrape the side of the bowl and add the egg, vanilla, and molasses. Beat for 30 seconds, scrape the bowl sides.

Place the 1/3 cup granulated sugar that remains into a shallow bowl. Working with a generous 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll it into 1 3/4 inch balls and roll in the sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, keeping the balls 2 inches apart.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until the outer edges begin to set and the centers are soft and puffy. Cool the cookies on the sheet for 2 minutes before moving them onto a cooling rack.

Total time

43 minutes

Cooking time

Preparation time

Yield

1 batch

Notes

Reverse the position of the cookie sheets half way through the baking time. Turn the sheets font to back, and move them from the top to lower rack. Be sure to have a wide spatula to remove these oversized cookies.