chewy molasses cookies with spiced chocolate.
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about once a year i get a craving for a chewy, chewy, chewy molasses cookie. they had pretty delightful molasses cookies when i worked at starbucks - i remember heating them in the oven for a few seconds and oooh la la… behold the warm, chewy sugary goodness!
but when it comes down to cookie time, i can’t deny my chocolate lovvve.
that’s the beauty of homemade recipes. you can do whatever the hells bells you want!
somehow this cookie reminds me of something i ate or some very distinct smell from when i lived in germany as a kid. when the spiced chocolate cooled and i took a whiff, it smelled like germany to me…whatever that means. i don’t know if i ate some sort of spiced baked good there, or they use a lot of warm spices? the smell of a christmas bazaar?? maybe a person there, or someone’s house, or germany as a general place just smells like cloves? who knowwwwws.
smell memories are so interesting & powerful!
and dang, you gotta appreciate the chewiness of a good molasses cookie.
these are moist, dense and C H E W Y in the best way.
these just smell & taste like holiday to me. i can’t really see myself baking a spicy molasses cookie in the month of may or something, so winter is prime time for these warm chewy babes!
even after a few days, when the chocolate is completely cold and hardened, the flavor develops even more. i really like the texture of that firm chocolate layer around the soft, chewy molasses center.
i made these over a week ago and the cooks are still chewy and delish!
somebody i know makes these teeny tiny molasses cookies that are so thin and perfectly chewy and addicting.
i think about them fondly and often.
loving these cookies kinda makes me feel like a grandma, mainly because i noticed that only elderly ladies ever ordered molasses cookies back in my aforementioned starbucks days…
but i feel like a true grandma in my soul, so it’s all working out, folks.
by the by, i will be 32 years old at the end of december!
32, going on 72!
except somehow i also perpetually feel like i’m 17? how to feeeeel ?
respect to the old souls everywhere whom also feel like teenz at heart. i’m certain this is a demographic of people.
much like the molasses-cookie-loving-granny demographic. but grannies generally know what’s upppp. and molasses cookies are good!
moral of this ramble - have yourself a merry little chewy molasses cookie and dunk it in warm spicy chocolate while you’re at it, why dontcha!?
Chewy Molasses Cookies with Spiced Chocolate
Makes 16-20 cookies
Total Time: 30 minutes
Adapted from Bon Appétit, by Alison Roman
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup light or dark molasses
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
raw sugar or sanding sugar, for rolling
For the Spiced Chocolate:
4-6 ounces semi-sweet to dark melting chocolate
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinches of ground ginger, all-spice, and salt (optional)
Instructions-
Place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom & salt.
In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, white & brown sugars, vanilla extract and molasses. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula until just combined.
Chill dough for 10-20 minutes. While the dough is chilling, melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Let the chocolate cool slightly, and stir in the remaining spices.
Scoop 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough and roll into raw sugar or sanding sugar in a shallow bowl until coated. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets and give the dough balls a light press.
Bake on the bottom rack for 4 minutes. Spin the tray 180 degrees and bake for 3 more minutes on the top rack. Do not over bake. When removing the baking sheet from the oven after 7 minutes, slam the tray onto the stove or countertop to compact the air bubbles and create a more dense, chewy cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Dip the tops or half of the cookies in the spiced chocolate and lay on parchment until chocolate hardens.
Store layers of cookies between pieces of parchment in airtight containers. Cookies will stay moist for 7-10 days.
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