Ginger Molasses Cookies

I am a “ginger” tragic … I can’t help it … I just love this spice!

So with the festive season recently upon us, and an overload of gingerbread (see here) in our home, I got the urge to try combining the spice with molasses (which I also love!).

This cookie is the result .. it is not a hard crunchy cookie that some may prefer (like my husband Bryan), but softer like the traditional European gingerbreads that I like.

My original intention was to “dress up” the cookie by sandwiching the pieces together with white chocolate ganache, but the family love them just as they are so I held back.  If you are thinking of offering these as a gift, then I think a white chocolate ganache filling would be perfect, or for something simpler try a lemon buttercream or icing.

This recipes makes a lot of cookies (20g per cookie) so there’s plenty to share around, or for school lunch boxes if the kids like spice cookies like we do.

RECIPE UPDATE:  Molasses naturally has a high mineral content including sodium, and as I am unsure of what molasses people may use I have eliminated using sea salt flakes in this recipe … you will still get a slight “salty” kick from the molasses, but if you decide you want more after you have made your first batch, then add 1/2 tsp of sea salt flakes (or 1/4 tsp fine sea salt) next time and work your way from there.

Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Ginger Molasses Cookies

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings: 44 x 20g cookies

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 150 g light muscovado sugar or brown sugar
• 150 g molasses
• 120 g butter
• 1 tbls ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• Sea salt flakes see recipe update
• 1 tsp bi-carb
  
  
• 200 g white spelt flour or plain flour
• 200 g wholemeal spelt flour or plain wholemeal flour
• 1 x 60g egg

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees fan forced
2. Line two baking trays with baking paper (you may need to reuse one tray depending on how large your trays are … recipe makes a lot of cookies)
3. Have a small bowl of water ready to dip your fingers into
4. Place sugar, molasses, butter, spices, salt (if using) and bi-carb into TM bowl and mix 30 seconds / speed 4
5. Add flours and egg and mix 6 seconds / speed 6
6. Knead 30 seconds, scrape around bowl and knead again for 10 seconds
7. Remove dough from TM bowl (it will be a little sticky) onto a silicon mat or baking paper
8. With dampened hands lightly knead dough and bring mix together into a flattened disk
9. Working with quarter of the dough at a time, and with dampened hands, lightly roll out the dough into a sausage shape (continue to dampen your hands as needed)
10. Using a scraper cut off pieces that roughly equal a tablespoon in volume (if you like to be precise – like me – then place each piece of dough onto a digital scale to adjust weight to 20g for each cookie)
11. Roll each piece into a ball and place onto your baking tray leaving 5cm between cookies for expansion
12. Bake one tray at a time for 8 minutes, turn tray around, and bake a further 4 minutes or until puffed and golden
13. Allow cookies to rest on tray for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container
14. Cookies will keep well for at least two weeks, but suspect it could be longer ...

Notes

RECIPE UPDATE:

Molasses naturally has a high mineral content including sodium, and as I am unsure of what molasses people may use I have eliminated using sea salt flakes in this recipe ... you will still get a slight "salty" kick from the molasses, but if you decide you want more after you have made your first batch, then add 1/2 tsp of sea salt flakes (or 1/4 tsp fine sea salt) next time and work your way from there.