Description
These classic gingerbread cookies are rich, spicy, and perfectly sweetened with molasses and brown sugar. Made with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these cookies have a lovely chewy texture and a crisp golden exterior after baking. Perfect for the holiday season or any time you crave a comforting spiced treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 stick plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ tbsp dark molasses
- 1⅓ cups light brown soft sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 egg
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Beat the softened butter, dark molasses, light brown sugar, and fine sea salt together in a large mixing bowl until smooth and well combined. Add the egg and continue beating until incorporated. Then sift in or add all of the dry ingredients—except the granulated sugar—to the mixture and beat them all together until a uniform dough forms. Wrap or cover the dough and refrigerate it for 1 hour to chill and firm up.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 400°F (gas mark 6). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Shape and Sugar-Coat the Cookies: After chilling, roll the dough into 20 even-sized balls. Using a food scale can help with uniform size and baking. Pour the granulated sugar onto a small plate and roll each ball thoroughly in the sugar to coat the surface completely.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the sugar-coated dough balls spaced evenly on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until the cookies turn a lovely golden brown color. Keep an eye on them to avoid overbaking, as they should have a crisp exterior but remain chewy inside.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove the baked cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. This step ensures they firm up properly and attain the ideal texture for serving.
Notes
- For uniform cookies, weigh each dough ball before baking.
- You can substitute dark molasses with blackstrap molasses, but it will intensify the flavor.
- If you prefer a softer cookie, reduce baking time slightly.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- These cookies freeze well; freeze baked cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gingerbread cookies, holiday cookies, spiced cookies, molasses cookies, Christmas treats
