Grandma's Classic Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

 

Looking for a soft, spiced molasses cookie with flavors to instantly transport you back to Grandma's kitchen? This is it. I bake them most often during the holidays, but I love them all year round!

I used freshly grated ginger for the most distinct flavor in this recipe, but you may use dry ginger if you'd like. We favor adding a little vanilla to the dough, as it mellows the flavors and marries them. We also love them with a good coating of Raw sugar. Raw sugar is the residue left after sugarcane has been processed to remove molasses and refine the sugar crystals. With a flavor similar to brown sugar, it should not be confused with brown sugar. We coat these cookies in Demerara sugar, a coarse-textured, dry, raw sugar from the Demerara area of Guyana, just before baking. It gives them a crispy, sugary coating that remarkably compliments the soft ginger cookies.

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

¾ cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root (or 1 tsp dry ground)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. Ground Saigon cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
1/2 cup Raw Demerara Sugar for Garnish

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in Raw sugar.
• Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F until puffy and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.