These are a wonderful chewy spice cookie. They are drop cookies that keep very well. I make them at the beginning of the holiday season and they keep all the way to New Year's!
These come out exactly the way a molasses cookie should! 2 things: Definitely watch cooking time...if you like a chewy cookie, stick to the approx. 10min bake time-they may look too undercooked but that is fine. If you like a crispy cookie, let them go 2 mins longer. They definitely go from being chewy to being crispy QUICK so watch the time!! Also, just an FYI, I started out using coarse sugar sprinkles by Wilson (the decorator kind)but changed to the standard fine red sugar that you find in the grocery store. The coarse sugar looked pretty but was too crunchy for this cookie.
Read MoreVery tasty cookies. However, when it tells you to melt the crisco and then let it cool, you must let the crisco solidify all the way again (which makes me wonder why to melt it in the first place!) If you do not, the cookies become the consistency of hockey pucks when they cool all the way. The flavors are wonderful though. I would attempt this recipe again, but not melting the crisco.
Read More These come out exactly the way a molasses cookie should! 2 things: Definitely watch cooking time...if you like a chewy cookie, stick to the approx. 10min bake time-they may look too undercooked but that is fine. If you like a crispy cookie, let them go 2 mins longer. They definitely go from being chewy to being crispy QUICK so watch the time!! Also, just an FYI, I started out using coarse sugar sprinkles by Wilson (the decorator kind)but changed to the standard fine red sugar that you find in the grocery store. The coarse sugar looked pretty but was too crunchy for this cookie.
These were really good. Usually, I do not even like molasses cookies, but these were nice and chewy on the inside, not too sweet, and just the right amount of spice. My father loved them,and my friend said they were the best ginger bread cookies she has ever had! My mother though, first felt they tasted a lot like fried oil, whick I think was because of the shortening, but then said they were good after a few bites. But I think next time, I will try them with butter instead, just to avoid the oil taste. Oh and they were perfect after only 3 hours of refrigeration. All in all, fabulous recipe! Thanks for sharing it!!!**UPDATE**: I have now tried them with butter instead, and they are sooo amazingly perfect! From now on, I will only make them with butter.
REALLY yummy! Spiced well and taste like perfect little gingersnaps but not rock hard. I added 2 TBS of corn syrup to make them a bit chewy. The recipe makes tons too!
Oh, my gosh, these are great! I followed recipe as written, refrigerated dough 4 hours and baked. While first batch was in the oven, I rolled rest of dough and put in fridge until ready for next batch, then rolled the balls in sugar and baked. Dough very easy to work with. Ten minutes at 375 and the cookies were PERFECT; just the right amount of crisp on outside and softness inside. The texture could not be better and the taste was a perfect blend of spices (even though they were a bit too sweet for my husband) and a big hit with neighbors. Thanks, Karin, for this great recipe. I'll e making these again and again!
Delicious! I made these for Christmas and they were a real hit with my family. I live in Australia and couldn't buy all of the ingredients, so I substituted butter for shortening and treacle for molasses. This recipe is a keeper. =D
AMAZING! Moist, just the right amount of spice, yummy!!! Per other reviews, I used 1 c. shortening and 1/2 c. butter. I omitted the cloves. Also, I didn't melt the shortening (what is the point?), just creamed the shortening and butter together before adding other ingredients. I also didn't chill the dough at all. I could see if I was using a cookie cutter, but for these I didn't see the need. They came out PERFECT! Baked for 10 minutes so they would be a tiny bit crispy on the outside. I sprinkled with powdered sugar per another review to make them pretty. I will definitely make these again and again!
These were very good. Smelled excellent when baking. They do begin to get hard quicky, so I'd suggest storing them as soon as you can.
No need to melt then cool unless you have time to kill :) Just blend the shortening in (like you would in normal cookies), then roll into balls as soon as the dough is complete (no need to refrigerate). I've made this a bunch of times, and my favorite variation involves replacing 1/2 cup of shortening with real butter, half of the white sugar with brown sugar, and half of the molasses with honey, which gives the cookies a richer taste. I usually reduce the cloves by half as well since I don't like a strong clove taste. Delicious!
Very tasty cookies. However, when it tells you to melt the crisco and then let it cool, you must let the crisco solidify all the way again (which makes me wonder why to melt it in the first place!) If you do not, the cookies become the consistency of hockey pucks when they cool all the way. The flavors are wonderful though. I would attempt this recipe again, but not melting the crisco.
These cookies are absolutely phenomenal! I'm not usually a huge fan of sugar cookies in general, but the spice and kick they have are so amazing. By far one of the best recipes I've come across. Thank you so much!
These cookies are trememdous Karin and I thank you for submitting this wonderful recipe. I only had a quarter cup of molasses left so I subbed with honey and used brown sugar instead of the white. To add even more of a kick, I sprinkled a bit of cayenne pepper into the dough. I can't keep my hands out of the container! Thanks again and Happy Holidays!
This recipe is outstanding. I made about 10 dozen this year, because everyone kept asking for more! The best part: making 10 dozen was so easy! I rolled in red and green sugar for the holidays.
Wow, these cookies are yummy! It's so hard to stop at 1 or 2...family and friends loved them! I took a chance and substituted butter for shortening. I also baked the cookies without refrigerating the dough first and as soon as they came out of the oven I sprinkled sugar on top. They were perfect! I will be making these again real soon.
I have been making these cookies for 40 years. This is the same recipe I found in our church cookbook 40 years ago. My husbands favorite. I did switch to butter a couple of years ago and they are just as good if not better. I use half butter half smart blend baking sticks. I cream that and proceed with the recipe. Last year I put finely dice candied ginger in. That my friends was the bomb.
This is a great recipe for molasses spice cookies. Try them. Personal taste may add more or less spice but the cookies are awesome and the recipe is just too easy. Definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Delicious recipe. The cookies didn't flatten out as much as pictured, so maybe I rolled them too large. Not sure what "walnut" sized is, but I made them about 1" in diameter. Maybe I should have pressed the cookies slightly. Regardless, they taste great!
Delicious. These got rave reviews. I wouldn't refrigerate the dough again, as it made it difficult to work with and I had to let it warm to room temperature anyways. I pressed down lightly on the balls of dough for some, and some I did not. I like the crackled apparance of the ones I pressed down, but the non-pressed ones stayed softer. I baked them for 8 minutes. I put the heel of a loaf of bread in the container I stored them in to soften them up as the became quite crispy only hours after coming out of the oven. They are excellent cookies, and well worth the effort of rolling into balls (I generally prefer making drop cookies for simplicity and speed).
These have just become our new favorite cookies. In fact, they're so good I'm afraid to make more because we can't seem to stop eating them. Made them exactly as directed and they were perfect. I rolled mine in colored sugar for the holidays.
great cookie. simple to make. a hit with everyone i give them to. easy to do in one bowl, microwave the shortening, dump everything in, mix it up, chill in the fridge. scoop. bake. done.
I did not follow the directions to the dot, but I still ended up with fabulous cookies - the quintessential molasses spice cookies. See my custom version (I swear it is not complicated or pretentious :) )
These cookies are, without any doubt, the best cookies I have ever made. They were fast, easy and turned out perfectly. The only thing I did differently was flatten them a little and drop one side into white sugar. It gives them a bit of a crunchy top. I learned that from my gramma!
ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING! I would give it 10 stars if I could! I bake them for 7-8 mins, and they come out AMAZING-- really crispy outside and super chewy/ gooey inside... even after completely cooled they are incredible.
I can't believe I forgot to rate these cookies. These are absolutely delicious! I didn't have any shortening, so I substituted butter. The molasses makes them divine, and the spice amounts are just right. Go by the bake time as to not overcook them, no matter how they look. They are perfectly crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle, and they stored fine for me. I love spice cookies, and this is definitely my go to spice cookie recipe now! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! btw... For people who had flat cookies, invest in a cookie scoop. Not sure if what caused the cookies to be flat, but a cookie scoop makes a perfect cookie!
Very good, just what I was looking for. I didn't have ground cloves on hand so I used allspice. I too was to eager to wait over night. Tasted just like the ones at Tim Horton's. I did find that they didn't go flat, the next pan I just rolled them more disk like then balls. They look great, cracks and all. Thanks Karin Christian
Outstanding! I substituted butter and Smart Balance baking sticks for the shortening. I also rolled them in purple and yellow sugar for spring. I did not refrigerate and they rolled just fine.
Wow these are so good my family thinks I am a baking genius and I am sending them another batch tomorrow. I did two small changes butter (because every cookie should be baked with butter) and since I used butter these did not have to sit I was able to bake them right away and half brown half white sugar for more depth in flavor. These will be made every christmas from now on.
They were gone within minutes. My whole family (even the molasses haters) adored them! I switched out butter for shortening (didn't have any) and they were still great :)
I'm not a cook but I had all of Thanksgiving break to become one. I have made this recipe twice and everyone has loved them. They turned out great. I used margarin and no salt and they still worked great. One tip... take them out while still gooey otherwise they get really hard over say two days.
This recipe is better than I thought it would be. I was a little worried when mixing the dough because it was crumbly. However, after an overnite chill in fridge, the dough baked up deliciously. The texture is crunchewy!!
I'm not sure how the recipe is without the following changes but I made these changes per some reviews and they were FABULOUS! 1} Take 2 tablespoons of the half cup of molasses away and replace it with honey. (I figured it would add more depth to the total flavor) 2} Substitute half of the white sugar with the same amount of TIGHTLY packed brown sugar. (makes a chewier and richer cookie /makes up for the missing molasses) 3}I doubt this made much of a difference but I used half unsalted butter and half shortening. Just a personal preference over all shortening. The dough is really stiff so have a mixer or be prepared for a little workout. The refrigeration isn't really necessary if you just use softened fats instead of melting them. Make sure to really keep and eye on these as they cook QUICK, The SECOND you see the edges just START to brown, take them out, even if it still seems doughy, I promise they will set and be wonderfully chewy once they cool down a bit. If you see my photos, I baked mine about a minute TOO long this time.
This is the exact recipe my mother has, just calls it Spice Cookies. She makes a huge batch, twice a week during hunting season for a camp she works at and they never last the day! Wonderful recipe, everyone loves!
These turned out awesome and I got so many complements! Try them and you will love them too!
These cookies are always wonderful. Always requested by friends and family for parties, holidays, etc.... Only change I make is to use butter instead of shortening.
Not extraordinary, just simply a nice, ordinary molasses sugar cookie which was exactly what I was after. I did not melt the shortening.
This cookie reminds me of a gingersnap! I mixed the dough in about 10 minutes and used it right away. Do not melt the shortening, just cream it together with the sugar. This will allow you to use the dough immediately without chilling it.
These are our new family favorite ! We don't always put decorative sugar on top. We like them as they are!
Easy to make and tastes great!!! I used blackstrap molasses and it works just as well... great recipe!!
fantastic recipe. We were looking for a new addition and his was great. So moist
These were absolutely perfect! Good strong ginger flavor to compliment the molasses. And they are versatile. Regardless of how you like your molasses/spice cookies, these are for you. If you like a soft, chewy molasses cookie then make and bake them as directed. If you like a crisp 'gingersnap' kind of cookie, make them as directed, but instead of rolling in sugar, dip a glass in sugar and press flat. Same cook time, same cookie, two awesome variations! My mom likes crispy ones and my dad likes chewy. I was able to make cookies for both in only one batch...delicious!
Would give 6 stars if I could! Loved by kids and adults! Time of baking is crucial as mentioned in other reviews. Will be making them again soon!
Amazing cookies - it's true. I made these for Cub Scout camp and could accommodate all the allergies in the cub pack. Everyone loved them and I kept some at home for the remainder of the family to try. They were super. When they dry out a bit - try the bread in the container overnight as suggested. It works perfect. Highly recommended.
These are the BEST!! I've never had so many people rave about my baking like this before. Moist, delicious, chewy. These will impress even the fussiest people. I plan on baking these thru Christmas. I rolled my cookies in sugar and added red and green sprinkles to look Christmas-y
These cookies are excellent! Got so many compliments! I made two batches one with colored sugar and on drizzled with a simple icing both were great. I also upped the spices only because my family likes it that way. If I could give it a sixth star I would!
These tasted much better than the gingerbread cutout recipe. The cloves really made these taste spicer than "gingerbread" cookies, sort of like the gingersnaps you buy at the store--only these are soft.
This was a great recipe! I left in the fridge overnight as I got caught up making lemon meringue pie while I was waiting on the dough to chill. They turned out fantastic! Ended up using the 8 minute bake time. Rolled in colored sugars and they're quite tasty looking. I've had one and have somehow managed not to eat the dozens of cookies this recipe makes. I love that I can share them all because this makes SO many cookies! Definitely 5 stars! I'd recommend it. It's great as is...no modifications needed.
Used 1/2 cup margarine to 1 cup shortening. Otherwise followed instructions. Picture is misleading, it shows the cookies right out of the oven and they are puffed, but then settle as they cool. I made 7 dozen and they were all perfect. Started with 6 minutes baking time but found 8 minutes to be the right temp.
This is the same recipe my mother called Ginger Cookies. My family loves these! Just a note: baking 8 minutes gets you a soft, chewy cookie, while 9-10 minutes creates a ginger snap. Like others have said, keep in an airtight container. I use the same cookie tin my mother did, 25 years later.
please, please, if you must use shortening, use the butter flavored one from Crisco - every bite tasted like fried fish, or something.
I have made these cookies hundreds of times. They were my favorite cookie as a kid and I still love them! I like the flour unsifted so that the cookies are crispy. Sifting the flour will make them more cake-like. I use a leveled Tbsp. of dough to make each cookie. Also, I NEVER melt the shortening or chill the dough!
I took these to a cookie exchange, and everyone loved them. The have just the right amount of spicyness and a great chewy texture. I don't like a crispy cookie, and these were perfect. I refrigerated the dough overnight, and they were very easy to make. They crackled nicely and were perfectly done in 9 minutes on my air-bake cookie sheet.
These turned out delicious however mine cooked much faster than the recipe suggested. I think in the end about 5 mins was accurate - when you take them out of the oven they almost seem raw and super soft to take off the pan however they really harden up after coming out of the oven. Great recipe though - will be making these again for sure! They also freeze well and stay nice a and chewy.
I love these cookies. The only problem is my husband and son don't like the taste of molasses so I end up eating the entire batch. Good thing they freeze well. :) Also, I cut back on the amount cloves (personal preference), flatten the balls before baking, and bake for 8 minutes.
This is identical to a recipe from my grandmother and goes back almost 100 years! The only difference was that to finish it, she used to sprinkle with confectioners sugar (through a sieve) instead of the sugar you show in your photo. They are my all-time favorite cookies!
Absolutely delicious. The only change made was to substitute 1/2cup of butter for part of the shortening. I put these in holiday tins for my friends this year. Everyone raved. Thanks so much!
I really liked this recipe. I did NOT melt the shortening, and they turned out great (what an odd thing to do). Also, I didn't use a teaspoon of cloves, yet the flavor was still a little too prominent. Next time I would just use a pinch. I loved that they stayed soft and chunky. I hate flat cookies. They have a really nice flavor. Good recipe!
These are delicious and relatively simple. I halved the recipe with no problem, making the balls slightly smaller. I made absolutely no other changes.
These cookies were so easy to make and it helps that I already have each ingredient right in my pantry! I question the need to melt the shortening too but did it anyway (as it may probably help in incorporating the other ingredients). I found an easy way to melt the shortening -- if you're using a Kitchenaid mixer, just put the shortening inside the KA bowl and put it over a pot of simmering water and after it melts, remove from pot and let it sit for a few minutes as indicated in the recipe. Then I just dunk the ingredients straight into the bowl and attach it to my KA and start mixing! It's so incredibly easy doing it this way and lessens the washing afterwards. I placed the dough in the fridge double wrapped the bowl in plastic and let it sit there overnight (purely coincidental as I did this at night) then in the morning pre-heated the oven and started rolling. I flattened the balls a little bit and dipped it in my homemade colored sugars. A trick I found useful was to place around a teaspoonful of sugar on top of the cookie after placing it in the cookie sheet than press it gently with the palm of your hand. The sugar really adhered to the cookie and even had a nice crackled look to it. Pressing will help give the cookie a nice round shape too. Will definitely be making these again but will probably not refrigerate it anymore.
I was having a large crowd over and decided to make these. They did NOT go over well with anyone. Everyone found the flavor way to strong. If you really LOVE molasses you will like these. Even though no human cared for them my 2 HORSES loved them!
I make them at Thanksgiving and Christmas and they go like hotcakes!I also make them for my fellow castmembers each time I work on a play or film. They're sinfully addictive so watch out! Canadian Thanksgiving is this Monday... I'm going to make a double batch this year :) P.S. Chill them for 8 hours at least, they're way better that way!
Oh, My Heavenly Lord!!!!!! These are fantastic cookies! My three year old son woke up at 1:00 in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to let him "help" me make cookies. The recipe was so simple and he had a blast helping daddy make cookies. I didn't refrigerate the batter for the instructed 3 hours. Instead I formed the balls and let him dip the cookies in the sugar and baked them right away. our first batch was done by 2:15. I let him have some milk and a cookie (because you have to sample the fruits of your labor). He was as happy as a clam then he went right to sleep. When the rest of the family wakes up in a few hours I think they are going to skip breakfast and go straight for the cookies. They are Phenomenal. I will be baking these every holiday season and also in between. Thanks Karin you are a wonderful person for sharing this recipe.
These are ginger sugar cookies! So SO good, who would of ever thought two of my favorite cookies in one. We did not put them in the fridge at all, and they baked nice, were easy to work with, they did not crack like the pic though and we are wondering if that is why.
the best one I made this year - it will be made every year and not just as a Christmas cookie!!!!!!!!
excellent recipe! I sub'd butter for the shortening and they were delicious. my yield was 8 doz.
Very yummy. They stayed soft for the two weeks they were on a cookie tray. Will make these again next Christmas.
Delicious, simple cookie! I used 1 cup shortening and 1/2 cup of butter. There is no greasy taste. I only refrigerated the dough for an hour. Because I have soft and crisp cookie lovers in the house, the first batch was baked exactly 8 minutes for a soft chewy cookie. The second batch was baked for 10 minutes which made for a crispier cookie. For the spices, I used a Saigon cinnamon and allspice instead of cloves. These cookies just need a couple of minutes to cool when coming out of the oven and they are ready to go! (Even kids like them!)
Those are the best cookies! So addictive! I made them exactly as written, and rolled them in coloured surgar. Definitely on my favourite cookie list!
These turned out beautifully! My husband loves them! I added a tsp of vanilla, otherwise I wouldn't change a thing! Oh yeah, I took advise of one of the other reviewers and chopped up some candied ginger in them as well, perfect!
I made these for my holiday book group/cookie exchange and they went over very well. Used exact ingredients with no changes. Unlike some reviewers, my cookies did not taste like fried fish although I may try the butter-flavored shortening next time just to see the difference. Some notes...(1) I cooled the melted shortening for 10 minutes before adding the rest of the wet ingredients to it. Beat it with a hand mixer on high for 1 minute before adding it to the bowl with dry ingredients. Mixed wet/dry by hand. Portioned and plastic-wrapped dough in thirds and chilled for 1 hour in the freezer to save time, working with one-third at a time. Cook time was perfect, averaging 9 minutes for most (they will look undone but don't overcook). Cookies will flatten after cooling for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet...don't try to remove them to a cooling rack until they rest for a minute. Drizzled confectioner's sugar icing with a fork over half the cookies to add some variation to the platter. Great with coffee or tea!
these are really good. can anyone tell me the purpose of melting the shortening though.
I give these 5 stars with butter since I don't use shortening. Third year in a row making as Christmas cookies and they are for sure a keeper!!
The dough mixed well and the cookies had a nice, crisp texture. They also had a rich molasses flavor. I'm very happy with this recipe. I followed it exactly, and I would make this again.
I've haven't had these cookies since I was a kid and ABSOLUTELY LOVE this recipe. I followed the recipe without alteration. I've been teaching my 8 year old daughter how to cook and when we made this recipe, I made her smell each ingredient. Each time she would turn up her nose and say "YUCK!" When the cookies were done she tried one with trepidation and quickly shouted "I love these!" I usually let her experiment with the last bit of dough and she made a ball the size of a raquetball. We flattened it slightly to about 2 1/2" in height before cooking. It turned out to be a great big saucer sized chewy cookie. WOW! I might make the whole next batch that way to reduce the labor. ENJOY!
So good and really beautiful to look at if you roll them in colored sugar! Great recipe. :o)
Super easy, my hand just got tired from mixing. The dough is thick. This cookie is sweet and has just the right amount of spices. My kitchen was infused with the smells of cinnamon and ginger. This cookie emobdies the holidays so I am glad I found this recipe. I baked these for only 9 minues only. They came out chewy and were perfectly crackled on top (i love that look on cookies). They are definitely going to be on my Christmas baking list. I also stored the extra dough in the freezer and it kept well for a week. TIP: If you over bake your cookies so they hard and not chewy, don't throw them out. Crush them up for an ice cream topping or they can be layered in a trifle!
Amazing! Turned out chewy, beautiful and delicious. Definitely watch the time as other reviewers suggested. They don't look done at 8 minutes, but they are. They flatten out nicely once they cool off a bit.
Not so good. They looked pretty as the pick, but now that I use less shortening in my cooking, I was overwhelmed with shortening. They dried a bit too crunchy and I took them to a cookie walk today and they were among the leftover cookies.
I don't sift and only chilled for an hour. I also microwaved the shortening in a glass bowl rather than heat over the stove. They turned out perfect, including the crackles! I'm not a big fan of molasses, but these were very good. You have to put them in a container or baggie with some bread immediately after cooling or they will harden very quickly. Yummy, and they look fantastic with red and green sprinkles!
Baked these over the holidays! Such a wonderful recipe, a new family favorite!
The taste is phenomenal but I only baked them for 7 minutes at 350, could be my oven is a little hot though. I wasn't thrilled how flat they turned out but the taste sure made up for that. They started out very crispy but I read somewhere that if you put a slice of fresh bread in the airtight container with the cookies, they stay moist...it worked so well! I changed the slice of bread daily (it's been three days) and they are still nice and soft. I'm big on soft cookies but if it weren't for the bread, I think they'd be more crispy/chewy like some people would prefer.
These were great. I didn't melt the shortening though. I just creamed sugar and shortning and then added my eggs and molasses. Then all of dry ingredients went into the bowl. I just rolled them right then without refrigeration and it was just fine. They crinkled just like they were supposed to. I made my own colored sugar by mixing 5 drops of food coloring into about 1/2 cup white sugar. Much cheaper than buying that stuff at the store and they looked great. This recipe only made 5 dozen cookies for me and they weren't super huge or anything. A keeper for sure!
These cookies were so amazing! If you love gingersnap cookies, you will love these chewy yummy cookies!
MMMMMM!!!! So good! i added 1 tsp. of vanilla and 1 tsp. of orange zest. Perfect for a snowy day!
I have this same recipe only halved in portions, but I don't add cloves or ginger. They are delicious and the best molasses cookie I've ever eaten! They are very good frozen with a cup of hot coffee!
This recipe is perfect! It tastes similar to a gingerbread cookie with a much better texture, and without all the work.
Made these for Christmas for the first time. I didn't roll in coloured sugar, like the picture, so they looked just like an ordinary molasses or ginger cookie. My sisters said they rivalled my Mom's time-tested ginger cookie recipe which is a huge compliment. Don't overbake!
Wow! This is going to be my go-to molasses cookie recipe from now on. I made these for a molasses cookie fan and he thought they were amazing. I'll admit that I've always thought the store bought kind were not so good and have never really tried homemade molasses cookies before. But I would now rate this type of cookie very highly. I followed the recipe exactly using organic unsulphured cane molasses. Baked for 9 minutes after 3 hrs chill and another batch overnight. Both tasted great! Even better with milk. Best fresh out of the oven but stayed soft on the inside for a little over a day in plastic zip loc bags.
