Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

by Claire Saffitz, featured in Dessert Person

Published by Clarkson Potter

Introduction

These cookies will look nearly raw in the center when you pull them out of the oven, but they will continue to set as they cool. The key to the soft and chewy texture of these cookies is, simply, underbaking them. If you like a crispier spice cookie, bake them 2 minutes longer.

The cookies, stored airtight at room temperature, will keep up to 5 days. The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days. You can also roll the dough into balls and toss in sugar, then arrange them in tight rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze solid. Transfer the balls to a resealable plastic freezer bag and keep frozen up to 2 months. No need to thaw before baking, but extend the bake time by a couple of minutes.

Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes (includes 1 hour for chilling).

Special Equipment: Stand or hand mixer.

Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes (includes 1 hour for chilling).

Special Equipment: Stand or hand mixer.

As featured in

Dessert Person

Image of Claire Saffitz's Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies — Photo by Alex Lau

Ingredients

Makes: about 42 Cookies

Metric Cups

3¾ cups (17 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (0.63 oz) baking soda
2½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ sticks (6 oz) unsalted butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)
packed 1½ cups (10.6 oz) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs (3.5 oz / 100g liquid weight) at room temperature
½ cup (5.6 oz) unsulfured molasses or black treacle
2 teaspoons (0.33 oz / 9g) apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup turbinado sugar (for rolling)

490 grams (17 oz) plain flour
18 grams (0.63 oz) bicarbonate of soda
2½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
170 grams (6 oz) unsalted butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)
300 grams (10.6 oz) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs (3.5 oz / 100g liquid weight) at room temperature
160 grams (5.6 oz) unsulphured molasses or black treacle
2 teaspoons (0.33 oz / 9g) apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
100 grams demerara sugar (for rolling)

Method

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies is a guest recipe by Claire Saffitz so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, pepper, allspice, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until slightly pale, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses, vinegar, and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until the last trace of flour disappears. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and press into a 6 × 6-inch / 15 x 15cm square. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven and prepare the pans: Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/160°C Fan. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into balls: Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. Remove one square of dough from the refrigerator, portion into 1-ounce (28g) pieces, and roll each into a ball (they should be about 1¼ inches / 3cm in diameter). Toss the balls in the turbinado sugar to coat all over, then place on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 3 inches / 7.5cm apart (the cookies will spread during baking). Refrigerate any balls that don’t fit on the baking sheets.
Bake on the upper and lower racks until the edges are firm to the touch but the centers are still very soft and slightly shiny, 12 to 14 minutes, switching racks and rotating the sheets front to back halfway through.
Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheets before using a thin spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat the rolling and baking process with the remaining dough and turbinado sugar.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, pepper, allspice, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until slightly pale, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses, vinegar, and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until the last trace of flour disappears. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and press into a 6 × 6-inch / 15 x 15cm square. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven and prepare the pans: Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/160°C Fan. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into balls: Place the demerara sugar in a small bowl. Remove one square of dough from the refrigerator, portion into 1-ounce (28g) pieces, and roll each into a ball (they should be about 1¼ inches / 3cm in diameter). Toss the balls in the demerara sugar to coat all over, then place on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 3 inches / 7.5cm apart (the cookies will spread during baking). Refrigerate any balls that don’t fit on the baking sheets.
Bake on the upper and lower racks until the edges are firm to the touch but the centers are still very soft and slightly shiny, 12 to 14 minutes, switching racks and rotating the sheets front to back halfway through.
Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheets before using a thin spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat the rolling and baking process with the remaining dough and demerara sugar.