The trick to getting 'chewy' cookies is to bake them the minimum time necessary and then cool them directly on a surface (i.e. - counter, table, etc). Don't cool them on a rack! You can also store them with a slice of apple.
Just made a batch of these cookies and they turned out to be very good. Next time however, I will cut the ginger and cloves down to 1/4 tsp to allow the molasses flavor more room.
Read MoreYummy, but I must've done something incorrectly as the cookie was either too crumbly and soft, or it was rock hard.
Read More Just made a batch of these cookies and they turned out to be very good. Next time however, I will cut the ginger and cloves down to 1/4 tsp to allow the molasses flavor more room.
This recipe has been revised to include a preheat step and oven temperature. - The Staff
These cookies were good. They were not hard-crunchy or soft-chewy, but in between, which is the way many people prefer. I cooled the cookies on waxed paper. If you do not like a strong clove taste, I would cut the clove down to 1/4 teaspoon. If you prefer the soft-chewy cookie, I would also consider replacing 1/2 the shortening with butter. Overall the cookies were good, and having to admit, they tasted wonderful with my coffee this morning. :-)
MMMM... These are so yummy. I doubled the recipe and did half brown, half white sugar, one cup shortening, 1/2 cup butter. I upped the spices and decreased the baking soda. Baked for exactly 8 minutes and these were nice and chewy. BRAVO!
Excellent cookie. I used black strap molasses and doubled the spices for a cookie with a kick. Wonderful. The molasses cookie in my house from now on!
This cookie was so delicious! So soft & chewy. Easy to make as well. I rolled my cookies in Splenda since I'm looking to cut on my sugar intake & they turned out great still. I had a wonderful time making them & my kitchen smelled delicious. Thank so much for the reicpe!
I have made these a couple of times. Each time, I get compliments on them. My father in law likes having a softer cookie, similar to a gingersnap, but not crisp. Great recipe.
So yummy!!! I'm a recipe tweaker, so I used 1/2 cup shortening (Crisco) and 1/4 cup butter melted together - just make sure the mixture is not hot when you add it to the egg mixture or you'll end up with scrambed egg. I made all my little cookie balls first and then I rolled them in the sugar because otherwise my fingers were getting a little too sticky and the sugar mixture was getting messy. I also tweaked the sugar - I added cinnamon, a shake of ginger and a little shake of cloves. MMMMM...extra spice. Then, I baked them on parchment paper lined cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. PERFECT!!
i made this recipe and absoulaty love it. i like the choice of eating a crispy or chewy cookie and could have it either way by how i cool them.
A must for the Holidays! Very tasty and just the right texture. I baked them 8 1/2 mins on the middle rack and they were just right. Thank you.
I switched out the shortening with softened butter and switched clove with vanilla extract. We didn't have the other ingredients on hand. They came out PERFECT! Like in other molasses cookie recipes on this site, there is no reason to chill the cookie dough unless you want to waste time; when you use the butter at a softened state, the dough is a perfect consistency. It definitely saves you a lot of time and the cooking time is the exact same. Mine come out perfect at 9 minutes on 375 degrees. I let them cool on the counter.
This was a wonderful recipe. The cookies were very delicious. I brought them to work for a friend who has a thing for sugar cookies and she loved them! I used blackstrap molasses and the full amount of all the spices, made them very flavorful and unique
Wow! I love these cookies. I convection baked them at 350 for 6 min. and they were soft, chewy tastiness.
Amazing!! Here's what worked for me: I replaced the shortening with butter, and decreased it to 1/2 cup, then added 6 Tbs of ground flax seed to compensate. They browned a bit quicker and were the perfect texture, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. You could top with a pecan half for a perfect touch!
Love these cookies! However, I did only use 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/2 cup butter flavor shortening, 1/4 cup butter and instead of 1/4 cup molasses, I used a 1/4 sorghum. These will go out as my holiday cookies for friends and co-workers.
I made brown sugar by adding 1T more molasses and using white granulated sugar. I only added a dash of cinnamon and ginger as I wanted more molasses flavor. Next time I think I will leave out the spices entirely. I also used one stick of butter instead of 3/4cup shortening. I hand mixed them because the baby was asleep. I didn't refrigerate the first batch before I cooked them. Then my baby woke up and I stuck the rest of the dough in the fridge. When I came back a few hours later the biggest difference with the fridge dough and the no-fridge dough was that the fridge dough had more sugar stick to the balls. They both cooked the same and I can not tell the difference after they were cool (except for a few with more sugar on them). The next day, after leaving them only loosely covered (I kept sneaking them when my kids weren't looking) they are even chewier and not hard at all. I baked them for 8 minutes. These are delicious and the biggest change I will make next time is to double the recipe.
used butter - worked out well, probably could use a little less in fact - definitely put the mix in the fridge before baking, too gooey
Yummy, but I must've done something incorrectly as the cookie was either too crumbly and soft, or it was rock hard.
Excelent flavor. Probably should double the recipe to have more cookies on hand.
Very yummy! I decided to make these on a whim this evening after seeing the recipe on the home page. Love that I had all the ingredients on hand! The only problem I encountered was with the dough, it was very sticky & gooey right after mixing so I put it in the fridge for about 15min. Even then it was pretty sticky so I found the easiest way was to get a spoonful of dough and press it off the spoon with my finger into a small bowl of sugar. Once I got it coated with sugar it was much easier to roll. I baked them for exactly 8min as well, which was perfect. They were chewy & delicious, thanks!
very tasty
They were alright. The flavor was nice and spicy because I added extra. When I read to put in 2tsp of baking soda I knew it sounded weird. My cookies came out flat. I have never ever had a flat cookie before. I'll try these again next time only 1tsp baking soda.
I have made this recipe a dozen times now and the only trouble I have encountered is leaving them in the oven too long. You really have to take them out early for them to be soft and they also have a tendency to burn early on the bottom. (I think this might be due to the molasses and the brown sugar and sugar rolled on the outside. I use butter instead of shortening. I just make a batch after putting the children to bed, took me less than 15 minutes to make them and put the dough in the fridge for an hour.
Very good. Used stick margarine, for the flavor, and I let it soften, then creamed margarine & sugar. Next time I'll up the ginger. Baked 7 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.
I fell in love with a Molasses cookie at Starbucks year ago but they quit serving them. Since then I have been on a search for a Molasses cookie that would satisfy me. I finally found that cookie! I didn't melt the shortening, I just added it to the kitchen aid with the rest of the ingredients and let it stir away. The only other thing i change was I used a very course sugar that I found at a candy store and rolled the cookies in that. I made these at christmas and they tasted like an old fashioned holiday, not to mention my favorite discontinuted Starbucks cookie! This one is a keeper that I will make all year round.
Yummy! I wouldn't call them sugar cookies though! They are really ginger snap cookies! I love ginger snaps! If you are looking for a sugar cookie, then I don't think you want this recipe. However, if you like ginger snaps, then I think you will enjoy these! The perfect combo of chewy & soft. This is a keeper!
My 6 year old son's all time favorite cookie! Always get rave reviews on this recipe.
These were amazing. They stayed so soft and moist and lasted. I couldn't stop eating them, had to hide them so there were enough for guests!
Very simple to make and were so VERY good..or as my daughter likes to says"they were off the hook"!! I like them so much I think I'll bring them to our next family holiday get together.
Another five star cookie recipe to add to my families favorites. If my recipe box last through the years until I have great grandchildren, they will think I only cooked cookies! Haha
Different then most and I liked the sugar the cookie was rolled in. Not a little kid cookie, great for the older ones though.
I have never had nor made any kind of molasses cookie, so I wasn't sure what to expect. My husband likes them. I'm evidently not a huge fan of molasses cookies, but I think they're pretty good. Next time I might use a tiny bit less molasses and add a bit more spice and see if I like them more. I didn't have shortening, so I just used butter (added a bit more than the recipe calls for). I added more cloves than the recipe calls for (on accident, they spilled!), and also used Black Strap Molasses. Overall, great recipe and I'll definitely be experimenting with it a few more times to see what level of spice I like best. :)
These are awesome! First, they're simple and made for a great cooking project with my at-home day care. Secondly, the taste and texture exceeded my expectations...very rich and firm, but soft. Fantastic!
Loved the recipy! The cookies turned out great! Not to crunchy, not to soft! But the next time I makes these cookies I wont use the full amount of salt and baking soda. I noticed I can taste a hint of the baking soda and salt. I doubled the clove and only half the ginger. Im not a big fan of ginger. Otherwise I got the taste I wanted!! MMMM... Good!
Pretty tasty! However too strong on the spices. Next time I will cut back to half. Other then that the texture was just right, they were pretty easy to make, and the family ate them up!
Awsome cookies! Very chewy and delicious! I am a sparatic baker so i'm happy that i didn't have to wait to cool the dough like some other recipes called for
My wife loved them said they were better than my own favorite signature cookie. She has a way of killing me. Added white chocolate chips and baked 8 minutes.
Excellent cookie, just like Grandma used to make. Made a test batch last night and will be making a triple batch this afternoon for a barbeque.
Delicious spice cookies! I love how I don't have to wait for any butter to soften. I just throw the shortening into the microwave to melt and have awesome cookies in less than half an hour!
We just made this recipe today and these cookies we SO good. They were a hit with both of my children. We will definitely make these again. I will say I left out the cloves and just put a pinch of ginger and cinnamon. They were PERFECT!
I've made these cookies several times now and they have become a favorite in my house. I've experimented with different ingredients like adding raw honey, nutmeg and maple syrup. Not all at the same time but to get a slight twist once in a while. I would not use blackstrap molasses again though. Grandma's brand molasses tasted the best.
Really yummy! A wonderful winter treat. My favorite molasses cookies were at Starbucks, and are gone now. ugh! I want mine to be dark and spicy and chewy. I added 1/4c more molasses, I doubled the ginger and cinnamon, and also added crystallized ginger! yum! I think I will also add 1/4t clove next time. But min were really good!
These are the best tasting cookies I have ever made. I used Black Strap Molasses. Thank You for sharing the recipe.
used only 1/4 teaspoon ground gloves & ginger I also refrigerated for a little bit so it wasn't so messy to roll out. Very delicious!!!
My 69 year old husband was getting cabin fever after our last snowstorm, so I asked if there was anything I could make that he was craving. Molasses cookies like my mom used to make was the answer, and this recipe is it! He LOVED them. Thank you All Recipes for saving the day -again, I love this site.
The only change I would make to the instructions is to CHILL the dough prior to rolling it. This made it easier to handle. I also baked mine at 325 F.
Great cookies! The whole family loves them. My daughter (9yrs old) and I made these together. Easy recipe to follow.
Delicious spice cookies! I love how I don't have to wait for any butter to soften. I just throw the shortening into the microwave to melt and have awesome cookies in less than half an hour!
Wonderfully chewy spiced cookie. I made the recipe with 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening, not melting either. Just creamed the fats with the sugar and added in the egg. I also reduced the amount of clove by 1/2. Loved them! Will definitely make these again!
Made exactly as written, baked for 8 minutes and cooled on the counter. Made yummy, soft and addicting cookies! Will make again!
Amazing cookies! Followed the recipe exactly, except used up all the bits of colored sugar I had stacking up in the cabinet to roll them in.
These are super good molasses cookies. I did do half butter, half shortening. Added a little bit of cardamom. Chilled the dough before rolling into 1" balls in raw cane sugar. Baked for 8.5 minutes. Made 3 dozen. Very chewy and moist.
These cookies are very "old-school" tasting; they taste like something great-grandma would make. In my family, these were a hit with everyone from grandma to 9-year-old nephew. +They end up being very easy to make nice, even circles; and keep their flavor and texture for several days, even if left out just covered in tin foil. -I personally would suggest just a slightly smaller amount of sugar; maybe just a couple tbsp less.
These cookies are very good. I did follow the suggestion to cut off on the ginger and cloves. The suggestion is spot on especially if you want to appreciate the molasses flavor. This was very easy and delicious. Will make it again. Edit: These cookies get better flavor over time. Absolutely, another reason to make them again!
These cookies were delicious. They had the texture of brownies, soft and chewy. I liked that Kathy used brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. Here are the changes I made. Used unsulphured blackstrap molasses for higher iron content and flavor. Used unsalted butter instead of shortening. Added an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt since using unsalted butter. Reduced the ground cloves to 1/4 teaspoon. Baked at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes because used the dark, no-stick baking sheets. I will be making these cookies again and again.
O.M.G. These are PERFECT. My boyfriend loved them and I ate FOUR of them and I never eat the cookies. They are soft on the inside with a cripsy outer layer and a heavenly flavor. Next time I will try not to accidentally spill the baking soda when measuring. Other than that, I won't change a thing!
I made these cookies for my family as they are not my thing (I am not big on molasses) but my family adores it....and they were a HUGE hit. My husband and kids loved them. They were gone in about 2 days. Would definitely make again exactly to the recipe.
These are the best cookies I have ever made. I cooked them for 8 minutes. Enjoy1
Perfect cookies! Only used half the cloves. Backed for the minimum 8 minutes. Crispy edges and soft inside.
I changed this quite a bit based on what I had on hand. I used a mix of butter & smart balance instead of shortning. Subbed 3/4 of the flour with 1/2 c of whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 c flax meal. Used organic sugar with a tbl of black strap molasses for the brown sugar. Used ground cloves & pumpkin pie spice. Added a heaping tbl of Fiber Sure (I always add it to my baked goods) and also added some vanilla extract. They came out fantastic and my kids clamor for them. I still gave the original recipe 5 stars as it seems like it's a well deserved rating.
This recipe was actually fun to make. The dough becomes the consistency of wet sand or play-doh. We rolled our batch into peppermint sugar, which really made the other spices pop with flavor. Take the cookies out of the oven on the early side to get the best consistency. The only thing I plan on doing different next time is cutting the ground cloves in half (it was a little too much for our family's taste).
I love how these turned out!!! Even at 9000 ft. Elevation, only change I had to make was in the flour, used high altitude Hungarian flour, they came out scrumptious!!!
My personal favorite recipe!! We like it with a bit of spice, so we added just a bit extra cinnamon and cloves, it smells SO delicious, warms the whole house with that rich scent!
AMAZING! only problem is, you have to had 4 cups of flour, not 2. by far most AMAZING cookies ever!
So good. I just passed out 5 different varieties of cookies for Christmas. These by far were the favorite of all the recipients. So soft, moist, and chewy. PERFECT!
I should have replaced my old ginger with new, otherwise a nice cookie!
it workes super duper great evreyone loved itt???
I love the texture, but for me the quantities of baking soda and salt reccomended made the cookie too salty. I would definitely at least cut back on the salt next time, and possibly the shortening as well to make the cookies less oily-feeling. I think I would prefer a spicier cookie, so I would probably like to try it with more spices. Overall not a bad cookie, but if I make it again I will have to alter it a lot to match my tastes.
This is a wonderful and easy recipe. On a side note: I found that I was out of ginger on my first attempt, I substituted coriander for the ginger and the cookies were still wonderful.
I was low on shortening, so I used 1/2 oleo thinking they would taste better. I baked just over 8 minutes on an airbake sheet lined with a nonstick liner. I slid the liner onto the countertop when I could handle it. They are chewy, however I will use all shortening next time. I think the spice flavoring comes through stronger with shortening, reminiscent of the cookies my mom baked when I was a child.
Used Chinese 5 Spice in place of ground cloves. Also used 2 Tbls fresh ginger but had to add 1/2 flour as the dough was too wet! What you can do if you don't have all the ingredients!
Not the cookie of my childhood. I liked the tip for keeping them soft, but they definitely needed more ginger—I'd almost do 3 teaspoons to give it that flavor. Someone else suggested backstrap molasses—I just used regular.
