Molasses Clove Cookies
mrslarkin
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- about sixteen 4-inch cookies
Inspired by Dancing Deer's Molasses Clove cookies and adapted from my Chubby Chewy Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies.
Note: I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour for this recipe. I love it. I think you could substitute it for all-purpose flour, in which case, decrease the butter to 2 sticks.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cup (1 pound 2 ounces) white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup turbinado sugar, for rolling dough
Featured Video
WHO: Mrslarkin is a pastry chef from Pound Ridge, NY, where she sells her baked goods at regional farmers markets.
WHAT: A chewy and spice-filled whole wheat cookie that's as huge as it is delicious.
HOW: Make a basic cookie dough, but sweeten it with molasses and spike it with cinnamon and cloves. Roll it into huge balls and give them a spin through turbinado sugar before popping them in the oven.
WHY WE LOVE IT: One bite of this cookie and you'll be inspired to pour yourself a tall glass of milk for dunking. This is exactly the type of cookie we turn to for an after-dinner treat: The spices balance the sweetness, creating a cookie that bridges the transition from savory to sweet with every milk-soaked bite.
Directions
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350º F. Line 2 or 3 heavy-duty cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I can fit 8 cookies to a sheet pan, as my pans are quite large, so I use 2 sheet pans.)
- Step 2
Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium/low speed for 3 minutes. On low speed, add the molasses, then the salt, spices, and baking soda.
- Step 3
Add eggs one at a time at medium/low speed and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Step 4
Add flour and mix on low speed until incorporated, then mix at medium speed for 10 seconds to make sure all of the spices are incorporated.
- Step 5
Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough balls that are about 3 ounces each (smaller than a tennis ball, but bigger than a ping pong ball). With your hands, roll dough into balls to smooth the edges.
- Step 6
Roll tops of cookie dough balls in turbinado sugar in a shallow bowl and place sugar-side-up 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press balls very gently with the back of a fork or your fingers to slightly flatten. (I use a flat-bottomed, 3 inch-wide measuring cup to press the dough until it's about 2 inches wide and 1 inch high.)
- Step 7
At this point, cookies can be frozen and baked off at a later time. Place them in the freezer on the parchment-lined baking sheets overnight or for several hours. (I prefer this freezing method as I'm convinced it produces a chewier cookie, but I could also just be imagining it all.)
- Step 8
Bake the cookies, either frozen or unfrozen, for 16 minutes (if you're baking from frozen, remember that they should be placed a few inches apart). Rotate the pans back-to-front and top-to-bottom after the first 8 minutes, then return to oven for 8 more minutes and start checking for doneness. Bake for no more than 18 minutes -- if you over bake the cookies, they won't be chewy. Remove your cookies when the edges feel set and the centers feel not quite done. I usually pull my cookies on the early side, as they continue to cook once removed from the oven. I haven't tried these in a small size, but if you do, bake them for less time.
- Step 9
When done, remove from oven, and slide the cookies, parchment and all, onto a cooling rack.
- Step 10
Store cooled cookies in an airtight cookie jar or sealed plastic bag. They stay chewy for days.