Molasses Cookies, Not Just for the Holiday Season!
When I was growing up, my mom use to make cookies every Christmas. We’d eat them all through January, and sometimes, we’d make more for Valentine’s day. Living on a farm in the Pennsylvania countryside, it was cold out. Snow would pile up and baking would not only be a fun hobby, but it would keep the house warm. We’d eat cookies with hot cocoa after going out to feed the animals, or we’d just need to warm up after playing in the snow. In honor of my childhood cookies, I’m sharing this molasses cookies recipe. I don’t have a lot of my mom’s things so I hold this recipe box and her handwritten recipe with high regard. Enjoy by the fireplace or after dinner and you’ll have a holiday feeling all winter long!
Bob’s Red Mill asked me a couple of months ago if I’d be interested in trying their products. Given that you can already find them in my pantry, I said yes. They then sent me a complimentary box full of delicious flours and baking ingredients in exchange for sharing my baking experiments, using the Bob’s Red Mill products, with you. (My opinions and photos are all my own.) Here is one of my many Christmas and winter baking experiences — making molasses cookies and sharing the recipe with you!
Since I had these molasses cookies as a young child, the recipe has made its rounds on the internet and it’s gotten pretty popular in various forms. No surprise there, because the recipe is easy, makes a lot of cookies and all the ingredients are easy to find. They are also forgiving cookies, so a minute more or a minute less in the oven won’t change the outcome significantly. Read on for a delicious cookie sure to please your family as they warm up on a cold day or need a good afterschool snack!
And for more on Bob’s Red Mill, visit their website. You’ll learn that their company is all about making baking accessible for everyone, even those who are unable to eat gluten or need to make their recipes without the typical flours. Their almond flour is perfect for the ultimate macaron and their rice flour makes such a light popover. I also used the flour in regular baking, when I made my Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes for Valentine’s Day! You can find that recipe here.
Molasses Cookies Recipe
Molasses Creams Cookies
Soft yet firm molasses cookies that are perfect for both the contribution to a holiday party or a yummy treat for your kids. Easy to make and one batch feeds a crowd.
Ingredients
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softenened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup molasses I used dark.
- 4 cups flour I used Bob's Red Mill
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- Frosting Ingredients (below)
- 10-12 small candy canes, shattered
Instructions
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Heat oven to 350 degrees.
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Combine dry ingredients in medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
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Cream butter in stand mixer until light and fluffy.
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Slowly add sugar to butter. Mix thoroughly until not grainy.
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Add eggs. Mix 20-30 seconds.
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Add molasses. Mix until combined.
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Pour dried ingredients in slowly. Mix just until combined.
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Roll dough into 1-1/4" balls.
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Place on cookie sheet with room for spreading. (I did three rows of 4 cookies each.)
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Bake approximately 12 minutes. Check after 10 minutes in case your oven runs on the hot side.
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Immediately remove cookies onto cooling rack. As cookies are cooling, lightly brush frosting mixture on top. (It will melt and become glossy in areas.)
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Sprinkle cookies with broken candy canes.
Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp milk I used almond milk.
Instructions
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Cream butter until light and fluffy.
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Slowly pour in sugar until combined thoroughly.
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Add in vanilla and milk.
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Mix thoroughly and set aside for use as cookies are cooling.
You’ll end up with pretty cookies like these — I had fun delivering these to our friends’ little girls, so I formed them in a shape that reminded me of Rudolph’s head and nose. (I used meringues and candy canes to finish it off.) They loved the cookies and they found my silly face funny!
Enjoy the cookies! They are great to bake with your family and if you use Bob’s Red Mill products, you know you’re using quality ingredients that come from the finest of businesses. I find my products at Sprout’s and Target, but they are readily available. To make it even better, they are affordable and let you experiment with gluten-free recipes if you need to. Try them out! You’ll find coupons available on their website, as well as introductions on baking to fit a paleo or gluten-free lifestyle. I don’t do either right now but it was great to learn more about it and it’s good to know another company works to be able to help everyone enjoy baking.
Happy winter!
