Molasses Cookies

These molasses cookies are the perfect texture of crunchy outside edges yet chewy soft on the inside. I don’t use baking powder in this recipe, so they don’t have that cake consistency.

3/4 cup butter (softened)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses (my favorite brand for these cookies is Brer Rabbit, “full flavor”)

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Granulated sugar for rolling dough in

Directions

In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat together butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg, beating until well blended. In medium bowl, blend flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger. Add to molasses mixture; mix well. Cover and chill. Form dough into 1-inch balls, and with hands roll each into a tight dough ball then roll each in sugar.  Place on non-stick cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. I bake them until they’ve “dropped” in the oven, that’s when I know they’re cooked through, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Let stand 1 minute on the cookie sheet. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Makes 5 dozen.