Molasses cookies may not initially sound tempting, but once you’ve tried this recipe you will think otherwise. I’m hoping I’m not letting out a secret family recipe, but it’s too good not to share. I’m frequently requested to write it down.
My grandparents were my neighbors most of my life. I have fond memories of eating my grandma’s molasses cookies while having a chat with her on the sun porch. I usually send her a picture when I bake her cookies and wish we could jump in a time machine and share another day on that sun porch. However, Michigan and California are much too far for that and time machines aren’t a thing. At this point I eat another cookie to console myself.
Do you have recipes that are extra special because you pull them out and recognize the handwriting? My grandma wrote down her cookie recipe for me when I got marred 16 years ago.
While these cookies give off a Christmas vibe, we eat them all year. They taste good by the lake, on a sunny fall day, or a cozy wintery evening. If you bake them right, they are soft with slightly crispy edges. If you bake them too long, they are more crispy and good for coffee dunking. You’ve made them right if they go flat after you pull them out of the oven to cool.
- 3/4 cup margarine or butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cloves
- 3/4 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup molasses
- Cream the butter, egg, and sugar together.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
- Dissolve 2 tsp baking soda in 1/4 cup molasses. Add to batter and mix well.
- Drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Give space for spreading when baking. Sprinkle with sugar on top of cookies before baking.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.
During our extra time at home, I have been able to teach the kids how to make these cookies. It’s easiest to teach them individually, but of course they all gravitate to the kitchen when they get wind of baking. They take great interest in the recipes they love to eat. That is why they could bake these without my help.
I even got a 13 year old BOY interested in learning how to bake these.
TIPS:
Sometimes cloves can be expensive or you might not have it in your cabinet. You can substitute allspice or nutmeg, but the cookies are their finest quality and taste with cloves. I have found Walmart has the best prices for the spices and molasses. Don’t forget to sprinkle them with sugar. This is a very important step.
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as our family does. Never underestimate the power of a plate of cookies if you know someone that needs encouragement. We try to eat one plate and share one when we make these.