Molasses spice cookies

Today I am making molasses spice cookies.  These are one of the most popular cookies I make, and not just around the holidays.  To start with, flour is mixed with baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and black pepper ... yes, that's correct, black pepper.  Set this aside.  Now we need butter softened to room temperature and then creamed in the mixer until soft and thoroughly creamed.  To this is added brown sugar and molasses.  (I always use unsulphured molasses.)  A spatula will be necessary to occasionally scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure complete mixing.  Then the egg is added.  At first it will appear that the egg will not be easily combined with the molasses mixture and it will look like a broken mess.  But mix it for a minute or two, and then added the dry ingredients all at once, but only mix slowly at this point, on the slowest speed of the mixture.  Once it appears that all the ingredients are incorporated, remove the bowl from mixer.  Now take the spatula and scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and gently mix in any remaining flour.  There is almost certain to be some at the bottom, but don't use the mixer for this.  We don't want to overwork the flour.

And here's how the dough appears when the mixing is completed.  It's a bit shaggy, very soft, and a little clingy on the hands.  So we need to chill this for a few hours.  Once it's chilled, then it can removed and portioned.  I make every cookie with precisely 36 grams of dough that is rolled into a ball.  The balls of dough can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for a month.

The balls of chilled dough do not need to be warmed up before cooking.  The oven is set at 350 F.  The balls of dough are rolled in granulated sugar, and the flattened just a small amount after placement on the cookie sheet.  Once flattened, I always put a little green sparkling sugar on top, right in the center. 

After cooking exactly 12 minutes, they are ready to come out of the oven.  They need to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before being placed on a cooling rack to finish cooling to room temperature.  Want to eat them right away?  Go ahead.  😀  Warm or cooled, they are excellent.  But when still warm they won't be as firm so hold them carefully so they don't bend and fall out of your hands.

This is a great cookie and very easy to make.  Just don't overwork the flour and don't cook them too long.  

Have a great pre-Christmas weekend, everyone!