This recipe for old fashioned molasses cookies is so packed with the flavor combination of ginger, molasses, cinnamon and clove. The cookies are crisp on the outside (thanks to a coating of sugar) and chewy on the inside. They are perfect for your holiday parties and goodie plates!
You’ve probably guessed by now that I am a big fan of gingerbread all throughout the holiday season from fall until the end of December. If you love classic gingerbread cookies, you won’t want to miss my Favorite Soft Gingerbread Cookies or my Stamped Gingerbread Glaze Cookies for more of a gingersnap texture (these also make fantastic ornaments or gingerbread houses!).
I hope you love these chewy molasses cookies packed with the spices of the season! If you’d like more holiday ideas, be sure to follow along on my Instagram page @handmade.farmhouse where I share daily ideas!
No ratings yet
Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies
Delicious chewy molasses cookies packed with flavor!
3/4cupshortening(butter may be substituted but cookies will be flat).
2 1/2cupsall purpose flour
1largeegg
2teaspoon baking soda
1/4cupmolasses
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1teaspoonground ginger
1/2teaspoonground cloves
1/4teaspoonsalt
Cookie topping
1/2cup granulated sugar(for rolling cookies in)
Add white chocolate after baking if desired.
Instructions
Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Mix in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. If your dough is really dry, you can add a teaspoon or two of water until it all comes together. 2. Use a tablespoon to scoop dough (about 1 1/2") and roll in your hands. Dip tops into granulated sugar. On a parchment lined or ungreased cookie sheet, place balls, sugared sides up, about 2 inches apart. Very lightly press cookies with a drinking glass. 3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or just until set and cookies appear dry. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. 4. Optional: Drizzle with melted white chocolate and add sprinkles of peppermint on top if desired!
You may substitute butter for shortening but your cookies will be flat. There are reasons for using shortening versus butter when mixing up a cookie dough. Shortening has a higher melting point, so cookies will hold their shape longer in the oven before the fat melts in the dough (and shortening doesn’t release any steam like butter) so results in moist, chewy cookies. While butter melts more quickly and releases some steam so that cookies will spread more and be crisper, with a distinctly buttery flavor.
Store leftover cookies in a ziplock gallon bag or freeze cookies until ready for serving. Allow to come to room temp before enjoying.
To properly measure flour, “fluff” flour with cup and then quickly scoop. Level off top using a flat-edge utensil such as a knife.
PIN THIS POST for molasses cookies with white chocolate:
Looking for more fun holiday cookie recipes?
Be sure to pop over to my friend Bethany at Crisp Collective who is next on the blog hop sharing peppermint chocolate chunk cookies!
Holiday Cookie Exchange Blog Hop
Today I'm joined by some of my blogging friends who are also sharing their delicious holiday cookie recipes with you! Just click on the links below the images to be taken to their post.
Hi! I’m Emily, homemaker at our handmade farmhouse. Here I write about my daily adventures experimenting in the kitchen, DIY home projects, gardening with my family, and intentional, affordable decorating. I believe HOME should be a safe-haven from life’s daily weight and always be the place you want to be most in the world.
