Four Spice Crackles

Delicious! I used margarine instead of butter and regular sugar instead of coarse sugar because I had to, and they were still wonderful. Having read the reviews, I cut back slightly on the molasses and ginger; I baked mine for 11 minutes until they were still slightly soft, and this produced a moist and chewy cookie. I will make them again, and will try to get the coarse sugar to roll them in this time... I'm sure this will make them absolutely perfect!

Very good cookie. Very spicy and they stayed chewy and nice. I couldn't find coarse sugar, but then I decided to roll them in Christmas green and red sugar since it is coarse. They were very festive-looking and the coarse sugar adds a little crunchiness that regular sugar doesn't. Everyone in the family loved them, including my 2 1/2-year-old grandson. A new Christmas cookie addition to my recipe box.

Theese cookies are the best spice cookies I have ever tasted! I ommited the molasses & used butter for shortening & I didn't refrigerate them.They still tasted as awsome as you described them to be.Thanks for sharing this great recipe!

I have made these again and again- the dough lasts in the freezer really well (I just slice off a few cookies as I want them to bake). Really good!

These are great cookies! We baked one batch for our Holiday cookie gifts and are planning on doing a second batch because they are so tasty. We added 1/4 cup crystallized ginger to give them an added kick.

wonderful!! I made a few small changes in the recipe. I used 1 tsp. ginger, and more cinnamon and cloves, and NO nutmeg. I also cut the flour to 2 1/4 cups. these cookies are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. you don't want to stop eating these!! next time I will try more ginger, think it would be just as yummy.

These cookies were very easy to make and delicious! I read some of the other reviews that said they were too spicy but I found they were perfect. They were a hit with my family and were soft and chewy.

Cookies are wonderful. They are flat, and sweet! I didn't use that 1/2 cup of flour, but I should at least have used 1/4 of it. If you only have salted butter, cut back on the 1/2 tsp of salt. The cookie is very rich and spicy! My fiance is addicted already! And yes, my house smelled like the holidays! I will be making these again.

Yummy, but not quite what I was looking for.

I've made these cookies for the past five years and have gotten rave reviews! The coarse decorating sugar is worth the splurge; cookies look MUCH more appetizing and beautiful.

This is a great recipe. However, as far as I am concerned, it is the same as a ginger snap. But it is still a good reference recipe.

Hubby and 12yr old absolutely loved them! They won't last long.

AWESOME! AWESOMWE!AWESOME!Not sickly sweet, a wonderful blending of spices. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!They did not crack on top, but who cares, this recipe is a keeper and I will bake it every Christmas.

Delicious! For any kiwi's or aussie's making these I used golden syrup instead of molasses and they came out great although they didn't crackle.

These are decent, but not my favorite spice cookie. There's just a little something lacking, despite the large amount of spices used...I suspect that the shortening taste is the problem. Next time I'll try using butter-flavored shortening, if I make them again. The cookies do hold their shape nicely and the dough is easy to work with. I recommend only using the coarse sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw) to roll the cookies for that perfect finishing crunch.

These were good. I made the recipe exactly as stated and thought they were perfect... not too sweet, not too much spice. I did roll them in course Wilton's decorating sugar, which I am glad I did. They looked pretty and I liked the added texture.

These were good! I just finished making them and they are tasty! I was a pretty happy with how they turned out, although I do like a more chewy cookie, they are the perfect happy medium for those who like both. Will take to the guys at work and see how fast they get gobbled up! Thanks for posting the recipie, it's now going to be a yearly fall tradition to bake these!!

This is really a good recipe if you like a lot of spices! I added slightly more than the recipe called for, and they turned out quite good (note: do go easy on the ginger if you are adding more than called for). although I didn't try it, I think they would be very good broken up and eaten with vanilla ice cream!

Wonderful cookie! Full of flavor and jusst the right amount of crispyness. Everyone enjoyed them at our Christmas get together. We have not even finished eating the first batch I made, and I am getting ready to make more! Yum!

A favourite in my family and the house always smells divine. I bake these when I expect company instead of lighting candles.

AWESOME COOKIES!!! I am NOT a baker and I made these cookies perfectly on the FIRST TRY!! The only thing I would mention is if you don't have good ventilation in your kitchen, open a window, because the sugar burns off a little bit on the tray and it can be smoky. It does make your house smell good and makes your mouth happy!!

Oh my gosh! These are so yummy! They are perfectly spicy - not too much at all. They are now part of my holiday baking & I know they'll be a big hit. Thanks!

loved the flavor and texture of these cookies.

These were easy to make and fun for my kids to roll in the sugar. They turned out perhaps a little too spicy for the kids, but I loved them. Also, they got left out over night and turned rather hard by morning, but I stuck them in a tupperware with a piece of bread and they softened right up in no time. I think next time I'll go lighter on the cloves and ginger, but we'll definitely be making these for holiday gifts!

I made these for my family for the holidays and everyone loved them. I think that it is too humid in Texas (at least on the day that I made them) for the cookies to crack. I trying to wait for my first pan to crack on top and ended up burning them a bit and they never did crack. After that, I just baked them until they were done and did not wait for them to crack.

Yummy . . really good the day after they have been baked.

Delicious! This may have just turned into my new favorite cookie!

My father-in-law's new favorite cookie! I'll be making these every year for sure!

Loved these, so did my kids. We dislike cookies that are too crisp so loved these. Rolled them in coarse red sugar for Christmas, they looked very festive.

These cookies look meek, but have big flavor.

These are pretty good, I just finished baking them. Next time I will increase the amount of spices in them to make them really Christmasy. I rolled the balls in cinammon sugar, and also added cardamon to the dough. I also used fresh ginger instead of the spice kind. This is a good recipe for adding more spices of your choice. Also, I had to bake them a few minutes longer, they were still very doughy after 11 minutes.

These are absolutely scrumptious! Perfect mix of textures, the flavor is fabulous, and that aroma... mmm. I'll be making these again and often.

This cookie is the 'snickerdoodle' of spice cookies. It has a lot of the same qualities - easy, sugar coated and a moist and chewy middle. It's virtually fool-proof, VERY flavorfull and pleasantly unique in this chocolate-chip addicted land. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that I think the intense ginger flavor might not be all that appealing to kids. The ginger punch was a bit of a suprise at first bite but I was soon addicted - kids might not give it that second necessary nibble.

Very easy recipe and the cookies turned out great :)

Wow! I love these. I made them for a bake sail, but they looked too good not to try one. I'm glad I did cuz they're fab!

Great cookie.I cut back on the molasses and the ginger a little. I thought it would be a little too strong.

Great recipe! My husband and I loved these.

These were good. A little to "gingery" for me, but friends who really like ginger loved the cookies. I also used orange juice in place of water to help bring out the flavor. Will make again!

These were outstanding. My mom couldn't stop stealing them. I didn't use coarse sugar as I didn't have it, and I refrigerated them overnight, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and they crackled very nicely. What I really like about them is the fact that they don't spread a lot, and they taste like a piece of gingerbread with pumpkin pie spice. I'll definately make these a Christmas tradition!

I think this cookie will become a Christmas favorite in my family--One to be made year after year. The whole house smelled like Christmas as they baked. :-) Not interesting to the kids though b/c lacking Christmas sprinkles.

These cookies were amazing! I doubled the recipe and added a few drops of vanilla and they tasted Perfect. When they had cooked for ten minutes, they were very soft coming out of the oven but once they cooled they became harder.

I didn't have molasses so I used pure maple syrup instead. I also cut the ginger down to 1 tsp. My cookies turned out wonderful!! Thanks for the recipe.

This is the BEST spice cookie recipe I have ever made. I've been making it for about 5 years now and I don't change a thing. I bring them everywhere, especially around the holidays, and always get asked for the recipe. I find they cook better in a gas oven (as opposed to electric) and the trick is to take them out as soon as they start to crack. Cooking them on parchment paper also keeps the bottoms soft! LOVE this recipe!

These cookies smelled wonderful while they were baking! The flavor was surprisingly mild, considering the amount of spice that goes into them. I would have expected the cloves to come out more. But I did substitute the molasses for pure maple syrup. Next year I think I might try the molasses, instead. Overall I really enjoyed them.

These are best warm out of the oven. I would recommend chilling the dough at least overnight, that way it is very easy to work with.

These were okay, but I won't make them again. They were very soft, dough-like, they did not crunch up around the edges how I like. The spice was nice, it was okay, but I didn't care for the texture.

I thought they were ok but not a big hit with friends and family. They felt they were too strong.

I baked half on a cookie sheet lined with foil and none of the cookies cracked. I used my pampered chef bakeware and then they cracked. I did not care for the spicy-ness of these cookies, but I was looking for little more of a gingerbread taste, so I was biased. The kids love them.

I haven't reviewed a recipe in a long time but after making these cookies I just had to. These cookies are so light and so very very tasty. The house smells so good, but then again, I did double the spices. Very good. Thanks for the recipe.

These were a big hit! Everyone who eats them says their great and ask for the recipe. I've made them for my children's bakesales and put them into carepackages

Wonderful at the holiday times. The aroma was great and the cookies were delicious and moist. The kids loved putting the sugar on the top.

These are tasty. Basically a gingersnap. Part of my batch I overbaked slightly and they were not as good. I am not a huge fan of gingersnap cookies, but these are really good.

Awesome cookies! I made them for a party and everyone raved about them. Really great around the holiday season. I used fresh ginger and it definitely added a kick.

Very good tasting cookie, but hardens quickly. Best bet is to freeze excess cookies and thaw when ready to eat.

Yummy!

I am giving these cookies a 3. They are very tastey but I rolled them in the sugar and followed the recipe exactly, but they didn't crackle. I was hoping for a prettier cookie for the holidays.

excellent wouldn't change a thing.

Watch these, they look fine on the top but burn easy on the bottom. I ruined two new cookie sheets when they overcooked. I found 8 minutes to be best. Otherwise they taste fine and look very nice.

YUMM! These are the best cookies! The dough smells delicious and so do the cookies when you take them out of the oven. A week later and they still have their mouth-watering aroma! They came out perfectly and taste heavenly. My whole family loves them so much! Try these you will be a believer too ;-)

I thought these cookies were alright, but they don't look like the ones in the picture (at all, they're much darker) and they didn't crack...but I still liked them, they might be a little too strong for picky people though;)

These were pretty good. They definately filled the house with an autumn aroma. I thought the dough was just a tad dry, but overall very good and simple to make. Thank you N. Johnston for sharing this recipe.

Ok, but they were missing something, not quite sure what.

The recipe was tasty, and pretty easy to make. After eating a few I felt like I was set for awhile. I dont think it's something you could sit down and stuff your face with, but, sometimes thats a good thing! I will for sure make again, but the mood will have to strike me.

This was a great one to make with my daughter; she loved rolling the balls, and then flattening them ;-).

Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved these, even my 5 yr old daughter.

These are cookies are quite tasty! They are very flavorful...an A++!

Very good! I rolled the dough in red and green-colored sugar, and it was a festive holiday hit.

My family loves these and I'm now required to make them every Christmas! It takes a lot for a new cookie type to make the regular Christmas cookie cookie list and these leaped right into the hall of fame!

These are wonderful! My whole family loves them! They turned out perfectly chewy and with crackled tops. Beautiful!

These are so good, and they make the house smell great!

These cookies are wonderful! I wasn't able to obtain the coarse sugar but everyone LOVED them. This is going to be a yearly addition to my Christmas cookie making list.

My family loved this recipe - we gave them as gifts one Xmas. My favorite!

Wow! These are so awesome!

These were good. Smells nice.

Very good. It is nice to have a different cookie. My husband loved them.

Everyone who tried these cookies absolutely loved them - I've even had a few tell me they were the best cookies they'd ever had! If you're looking for something other than chocolate chip, these are for you!

These cookies are fabulous. My family loved them.

I would highly recommend these. I have made 2 batches in 1 week. They go very quickly. Kim

I love these cookies! I've made them twice now. The first time, I realized too late that I was out of molasses so I substituted honey and added 1/4 tsp. of each of the spices to make up for the loss of the molasses flavor. The second time I made them the "right" way, and I think I like using the honey better! That substitution will become a permanent part of the recipe for me. My cookies didn't really "crackle" either time I made them, but that didn't detract from the deliciousness.

These were absolutely delicious. A nice spicy alternative to plain molasses cookies. Added it to my collection of favorite recipes.

The molasses drowns out the lovely mix of spices.

best spice cookie I have ever had ! just the right bite ! followed the directions to the T -

I make these every Christmas. My family loves them. Perfect amount of spice and stays soft in the middle. Great cookie

These were tasty!! My honey is currently deployed in the US Navy, every week I send out two new batches of cookies to him and the guys, these kept very well and were enjoyed by all!

These are a great Holiday cookie; makes the house smell real good!! Thanks Southernman-cooking

When small they look like ginger snaps, but are delicious and smell great....i baked some right before i had a meeting with the dean of my college and the secretary could smell my walkin' down the hall. A+ recipe, baked 11 dozen and they were gone in 2 days....then again this is a college so we'll eat anything.

Great recipe. Perfect blend of spices. I had to store prepared dough in the fridge and bake cookies the next day and perhaps thats why none of them cracked. They tasted great though!

Very easy and very tasty. I would recommend going to a little extra effort to get the coarse sugar for the finish...it has no effect on the taste of the cookie but they just look a little boring without that finishing touch.

Great! I used margarine instead of both butter and shortening, and more brown sugar instead of molasses, because I don't keep any of those others around and to make it dairy-free. It's a consistently good recipe, I've made it many times. Made today for my coworkers and everyone loved it. I sometimes make with a simple powdered sugar-and-water glaze instead of the coarse sugar, that's good too.

These cookies remind me of some my grandmother used to make. The house always smells wonderful after you make these!!

These are fabulous cookies. Just the right amout of spices and moistness. Mine never cracked-- maybe I didn't press them down enough? But they came out just the right amount of crispy and delicious.

I made these with a few minor changes. First, I used gluten free all purpose flour, added a splash of vanilla and a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon. I baked for 12 minutes and they came out perfect. My family enjoyed these spicy cookies and they didn't last that long.