Chewy and deeply spiced, these Molasses Crinkles’ sweet, warm flavors wake up your taste buds and make them take notice.
Tessa started baking these Molasses Crinkles last summer, and I’ve lost count of how many batches she’s made since then.
Often, when she has a friend over, I’ll find two flour-dusted girls in the kitchen scooping rounds of sweet, spicy cookie dough and rolling them in a bowl of sugar.
I always compliment their teamwork and pretend not to notice how much of the dough and sugar fail to make it as far as the baking sheets.
Most Molasses Crinkle recipes recommend chilling the dough for several hours before baking, but this one bypasses fridge time. This shortcut adds to this recipe’s appeal for play-date baking. When kids set out to bake, they usually want to indulge as soon as possible, and these ambrosial morsels are ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
Initially, I felt skeptical about sidestepping a rest in the refrigerator, but I needn’t have worried. These Molasses Crinkles turn out perfectly every single time!
The enticing crevices zigzagging the surface of each cookie reveal a delightfully chewy interior. Each satisfying bite blends flavors harmoniously as the smoky molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves work their magic.
My husband loves to sandwich these cookies around a generous scoop of coffee ice cream, but I’m partial to vanilla. With ice cream or on their own, these cookies have become a family favorite, and not just with our family, either.
Whenever Tessa mixes up a batch with a friend, we pack up a plateful of cookies to send home with her baking partner. Invariably, a text will arrive asking if the recipe is on my blog yet.
These cookies are just that good. Enjoy!
Molasses Crinkles
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus additional for coating the cookies
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, combine butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and the brown sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the molasses, beating until smooth. Beat in egg, mixing until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until the mixture forms into a soft dough.
- Using a tablespoon sized scoop, make 1 to 1½-inch balls of dough. Roll them in granulated sugar, coating them well before arranging them 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, alternating the cookie sheets halfway through for even baking. Remove from oven when the cookies are cracked on top but still soft inside.
- Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to racks.
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