By Staff, America’s Test Kitchen
Sticky, sweet molasses gives these cookies their dark color and delicious flavor. Photo by Kevin White/TNS
Molasses comes from the same place most regular white granulated sugar does: the tall, thick grass called sugarcane. Molasses is made by boiling sugarcane juice into a sweet, sticky syrup. It can be boiled just once to make “mild” or “light” molasses, twice to make “full” or “dark” molasses, or three times to make “blackstrap” molasses. You can use light or dark molasses in this recipe, but don’t use blackstrap molasses here — its flavor is too bitter and intense.
Molasses Cookies
Makes 12 cookies
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 2/3 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (3 ounces) molasses
1 large egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1. HEAT AND LINE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. WHISK DRY: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
3. WHISK WET: In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add molasses, egg yolk, and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
4. MIX: Add flour mixture and use rubber spatula to stir until no dry flour is visible and soft dough forms.
5. ROLL AND COAT: Place sugar in a shallow dish. Use your hands to roll dough into 12 balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each). Place dough balls in dish and roll to coat with sugar.
6. PRESS: Place sugar-coated dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them. Gently flatten each ball.
7. BAKE: Bake until edges of cookies are just set and centers are still soft and puffy, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheet, about 30 minutes.
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