If you’re like me, you’ve been humming “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” since the moment the cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes were cleared from your Thanksgiving table. The ‘it’s too early for Christmas decorations’ shame flew off, and the holiday jammies and baking mitts went on.
Molasses cookies have long been a favorite of mine because of their warming spiciness and their moist and chewy profile. The perfect molasses cookies, IMHO, are always rolled in granulated sugar before baking, and should be moist (almost wet) in their centers. They should hold their circular shape and have firm edges and crackled tops—the signature sign of flawless crunch to chew ratio.
It has taken me years to develop a molasses cookie recipe that embodied all the characteristics I was looking for. Many attempts resulted in cookies with too much spread and bend (too much moisture), or were too crunchy without that essential chew (too little moisture). This recipe yields a cookie that fits my long molasses cookie wish-list. I hope (and think) it will fit yours too. After all, I did make the list… and checked it twice. 😉
Bonus: baking these cookies will save some burn time on your favorite holiday candle. They fill your home with the most festive aroma!
Bonus Bonus: these cookies should not be limited to the holiday season alone. I’ve declared these cookies as the perfect texture for ice cream cookie sandwiches. If you try that, please let me know how they come out, and what ice cream flavor you chose for the middle!
The cookies don’t have to end there! Here’s a few others you might enjoy: