Molasses-Spice Cookies
NOTE: These
oversized cookies are especially attractive, with a rich, dark
color, almost perfectly round edges, a surface marked with deep
cracks, and an even thickness from the edge to the center. They
stay incredibly soft and chewy, even days after they are baked. It
is important to underbake the cookies (they won't look done when
you take them out of the oven) and then let them firm up as they
cool on the baking sheet. If you overbake these cookies, they will
become dry and crisp. Makes about 20 large
cookies.
21/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still firm
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Adjust racks to upper-and lower-middle positions. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl.
3. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Place remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in shallow bowl. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll dough into 13/4-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 11/2 to 2 inches apart.
5. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until outer edges begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to cooling racks with wide spatula.
VARIATIONS:
Molasses-Spice Cookies with Orange Zest
These cookies have orange zest in the dough as well as in the sugar coating. The zest in the sugar coating prevents the sugar from melting completely and clumps up a bit. The result is a frosted orange appearance that is quite attractive.
Follow Master Recipe, stirring 2 teaspoons grated orange zest into dough after dry ingredients have been incorporated. Place 1/3 cup sugar for coating dough in step 4 in food processor. Add 1 teaspoon grated orange zest and process until sugar becomes yellow and zest is evenly distributed, about 10 seconds. Roll dough balls in orange sugar, gently shaking off excess.
Glazed Molasses-Spice Cookies
Follow Master Recipe, preparing and baking cookies as directed. When cookies have cooled, sift 11/2 cups confectioners' sugar and then whisk with 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze and drizzle over cookies (see figure 12).