These soft ginger molasses cookies are assertively spiced with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. There's no chill time required and the dough contains more molasses than most recipes, leading to a crinkled and chewy cookie!
¼cup (50g)Coarse or granulated sugar, for rolling cookies(I use turbinado sugar)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, and molasses with a hand mixer or stand mixer, on medium to medium-high speed, until fluffy and well combined -- about 2 minutes. It should turn a lighter brown and be the color and texture of smooth peanut butter.
While mixer is running on its lowest speed, slowly add flour mixture a bit at a time to the molasses mixture. Don't dump the whole thing in at once or you'll have flour everywhere. Stop when the mixture is just combined - don't overbeat.
Put coarse or granulated sugar in a bowl or on a plate. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to scoop out dough, then roll into a ball between your hands. Roll the ball in the sugar until it is coated, then place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping balls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are puffed and spread, and cracks have developed on the tops. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Adapted from the recipe on the back of the Grandma's Molasses container.Make ahead: Cookies will keep and stay soft, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 5 days! You can also freeze the baked cookies, well-wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag, for up to three months. Simply thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours to serve.Freezing the dough: you can freeze dough balls on a plate or flat surface for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag and keep up to 3 months in the freezer. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.If dough is too sticky: simply chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. The dough should firm up and be scoopable!