Legendary Ginger Molasses Cookies
These cookies are the mythical unicorn. When you taste them, you will recognize them immediately as the cookies only whispered about in legends. No, I am not joking; they are that good. Crunchy, and crackly on top with a soft, chewy crumb, and spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and just a shadow of nuttiness, these cookies will blow your mind! And like all good legends, they are huge and hugely satisfying.
Because they are a legend, when you make these cookies, expect for word to travel fast. Friends, family, and even random acquaintances will journey far and wide to congratulate you for harnessing the mythical unicorn. They will also beg you for your secret. I know this because I was once so desperate. I first begged this recipe from my Aunt Mona, who, without question, makes the best ginger molasses cookies on the planet. Since then, these cookies have demonstrated their legendary abilities. Multiple times they have saved my life during extreme bouts of morning sickness when all I could stomach was their spicy sweetness. They have also enraptured many a coworker and friend and have been the hero at several Christmas cookie exchanges and parties.
That all being said, I have not always been successful at replicating the soft and chewy texture that makes these cookies so mind blowing. Here are a few tips I’ve learned for getting the consistency and flavor just right: first, be sure to mix in the molasses well. You will want to beat it into the creamed sugar and butter extremely thoroughly so that the color of the mixture lightens somewhat and so that it is consistent and fluffy. Then, once you add the flour, mix again very well. Do not be afraid to over mix these cookies. This can be challenging because the dough is thick and sticky, but I recommend that you use a stand mixer for this reason.
Second, because these cookies are large and spread while baking, be sure to practice social distancing on your baking sheet. I recommend a maximum of 8 cookies per sheet to ensure that each cookie is evenly baked and round. Finally, if you do not have coarse or decorating sugar for rolling, you can substitute regular cane sugar, but I do prefer the coarse sugar as it gives the cookies that extra magical unicorn sparkle.
Legendary Ginger Molasses Cookies - Makes about 40 cookies
Equipment:
Stand mixer
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup raw pecans, chopped
Coarse or decorating sugar for rolling
Method:
Measure the flour, salt, soda, and spices into a large bowl, and use a fork to mix them together well.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until the mixture is fluffy and consistent. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Then add the molasses and mix well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl several times to ensure all of the molasses is incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the flour to the molasses mixture in three or four pours. Mix well after each pour and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Do not be afraid to over mix. Once The dough is a uniform color and consistency, add the pecans and mix until they are evenly distributed.
Preheat the oven to 350º F, and line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough and shape into about 40 large balls (each approximately 2 inches in diameter). Roll each ball in coarse sugar and place evenly apart on the baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the cookies as they will spread in the oven.
Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are cracked and the sides are slightly browned. Baking for the full 14 minutes will result in a crunchier cookie. For perfectly round cookies, give the pan a whack on the counter to make the hot cookies flatten slightly. Then right away take a round cookie cutter that slightly larger than the cookies to swivel the hot cookies around inside. This circular motion will shape the cookies into perfect circles. Wait five minutes before moving them from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe reproduced with permission from Aunt Mona and adapted from Kristine Chayes’s “Giant Molasses Cookies.”
