Days are short, nights are long, and the air is cold. It’s the time of year when I’m caught between wanting to do nothing (nothing = sitting in bed with a book) and throwing myself into a frenzy of festive activities (gift wrapping! baking! candles! decorations!).
This year, I did a little bit of both. Like Goldilocks, I searched for the happy medium: not too much, not too little, just right. And I think I found it in baking a few batches of these Molasses Spice Cookies. Not only do they go beautifully with a cup of coffee or tea, but they make the house smell wonderful and make a crowd-pleasing addition to a cookie exchange or winter potluck.
Molasses Spice Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 Tbsp grated orange peel
- ¼ cup sugar, for rolling (Note: I like to use a blend of Turbinado or demarra and granulated sugar)
Method:
Sift first 6 ingredients into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine butter, shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl. Using mixer at high speed, beat until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add egg, molasses and orange peel and beat until blended.
Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Dough will be somewhat stiff and light brown in color. Cover and chill for one hour in the refrigerator. (Note: dough may be chilled overnight. If using this option, remove from the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes before baking to allow the dough to soften slightly.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheet. Using a spoon, scoop the dough into small portions and roll into balls with your hands. You should have 24 to 30 equally-sized balls, depending on scoop size. The dough may be slightly sticky; if this is the case, wet your hands for easier rolling.
Roll each ball in sugar to coat. Place 12 balls on a prepared baking sheet, spacing equally. Bake for 11-14 minutes. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yields approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Recipe adapted from Brer Rabbit Molasses Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches