Not Your Grandma's Cookie

As a child I remember trips to my grandparents' house on the east side of Portland. The car ride felt like it took forever and I was never quite sure the reason for our trip, unless it was for family holidays or a big celebratory dinner. One thing I'll never forget was the obligatory childhood hunt for candy and cookies. It didn't matter that the cookies were often stale and the candy too hard to consume, it was sugar and our parents didn't want us to have it, which meant we needed it.

I recently baked these Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies, a recipe courtesy of user TasteFood over at Food52. These are nothing like the molasses cookies I snuck out of that blue glass cookie jar as a child - they stay firm and crunchy at first bite but are soft and chewy on the interior. My only critique would be that I would have liked a bit more spice to the dough - in the future, I would definitely bump up the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves present or add the candied ginger that's optional. Plus, these cookies are extremely easy to make and even easier to consume.



Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies
Courtesy of TasteFood at Food52.com

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1/3 cup finely diced candied ginger (optional)
granulated sugar for rolling

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, salt and cloves in a bowl and mix well.

2. Beat butter and sugar together in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.

3. Add egg and molasses. Mix to combine well. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in candied ginger if using. Refrigerate batter 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in oven until set and crinkled on top, about 12 minutes. Remove and cool.
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Eric
Eric Lovelin Photography