Cookies…I’ve always loved to make them, and lucky me, I have a family that loves to eat them. Early in my cookie baking childhood I expressed disappointment to my grandfather about making cookies and having them disappear almost immediately. He suggested that I might feel much worse if they didn’t disappear. He had a point.
That was the end of that complaint. From then on, I have counted it a pleasure to have my freshly baked cookies disappear so rapidly.
Here’s a recipe for Molasses Crinkles that calls for just that kind of disappearing act. But if you happen to be able to hide away a few cookies, they work nicely for tucking in a lunch bag or packing along for a trip. You’ll find these cookies keep well, stay soft and fresh tasting which is perfect if you can rescue a few from immediate consumption.
And here’s some fun: They have a surprise ingredient too…Black Pepper! No kidding. Black pepper adds warmth and enhances the flavor of the ginger. Won’t your audience be surprised…if you reveal your secret. And you almost practically have to tell because everyone should know how brave and daring you are to add such a wild ingredient to cookies!
I always prefer to under bake cookies, opting for a soft cookie. If you prefer a crisper version, you can always add a few minutes to the baking time. Minutes, not hours. You don’t want to overdo it, you know.
Molasses Cookie Recipe:
- 1 ½ sticks of softened butter (12 Tbsp)
- 1/3 cup sugar, plus additional for rolling
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ molasses
- 2 ½ cups flour (1/2 whole wheat is good)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla and molasses and continue beating until incorporated.
Stir dry ingredients together; then add to creamed mixture. Mix together. The dough will be soft.
Roll the cookie dough into one inch balls. Roll the bolls in addition sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes and remove to wire rack to continue cooling.
