Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 2¼ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) unsulphured molasses
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. The mixture should be pale and creamy.
- Add Egg and Molasses: Add the egg and molasses to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until just combined and a soft dough forms. Don’t overmix! The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Prepare Rolling Sugar: Pour the remaining ⅓ cup of granulated sugar into a small shallow bowl.
- Shape Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball between your palms. Roll each ball thoroughly in the sugar until completely coated, then place on prepared baking sheet.
- Space Properly: Arrange cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet—they will spread during baking.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies have spread, developed cracks on top, and the edges are set. The centers may look slightly soft—this is perfect! They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Cool on Sheet: Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This is crucial—they’re too soft to move immediately.
- Transfer to Rack: After 5 minutes, carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. They’ll continue to crisp as they cool.
- Repeat: Continue with remaining dough, making sure to use cool or room-temperature baking sheets for each batch.
Notes
- Chilling Optional: If your kitchen is very warm or the dough feels too soft to handle, refrigerate for 30 minutes before shaping.
- Thickness Matters: For ultra-crispy cookies, flatten dough balls slightly with the bottom of a glass before baking.
- Don’t Overbake: Cookies should look slightly underdone when you remove them—they continue baking on the hot sheet.
- Uniform Size: Use a cookie scoop for consistent sizing, which ensures even baking.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
- Category: Desert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 68
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 52mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 0.8g
- Cholesterol: 12mg