Molasses Spice Cookies (small Batch)

 If there is one kind of cookies I cannot resist, it is molasses cookies.  They are my absolute favorite kind of cookies in the world. Soft and chewy, lightly spiced, they touch the inner core of my soft, nurturing side.
That's probably because they remind me of my grandmother.  Although, in all truth, her molasses cookies were not as fancy as these, they were  really fabulous cookies.  I have many fond memories of making molasses cookies by her side.
 Her molasses cookies were pretty plain.  The recipe having been handwritten on an envelope flap many years ago now, with no instructions, no oven temperature, etc.
Back in those days they pretty much figured that most women knew how to cook and such things were not really needed.   A title and a list of ingredients, that's it.  It doesn't even tell you how much flour to add.  I had to figure that one out for myself.  
 And the recipe makes about  bazillion soft, puffed molasses cookies.  Beautiful warm from the oven and served up with a glass of cold milk on the side.  Oh my but they were some good. 
They were roll out and cut cookies, so took a lot  more effort than these molasses spice cookies I am sharing today.  They also used only the basic spices, ginger, cinnamon, cloves. 
 This recipe today is for a molasses spice cookie with  pepper. You may think that black pepper doesn't belong in a cookie, but you would be wrong. It totally works as this recipe will prove to you.
This is also a small batch recipe.  It makes only one dozen cookies. One dozen soft, chewy, gently spiced and sweet-with-molasses cookies.
 
Rich with butter and using just enough molasses to impart some of its sweet smokiness to the mix.  Aside from black pepper, there is also cinnamon, ginger, cloves and a bit of vanilla.  My grandmother's never had vanilla or black pepper in hers.
She also used shortening. Most cooks don't want to use shortening these days. I will be honest and say right upfront, it doesn't bother me to use shortening in anything that requires it.  There are just some things that are not as good without shortening, but maybe that is just me. 

Anyways, these contain no shortening, just butter.  And you melt the butter first, mixing it together with the sugars,  molasses, egg yolk and vanilla.  There are two kinds of sugar in it.
White granulated sugar and soft DARK brown sugar.  You could use light brown sugar if that is all you have, but trust me, if you have the dark, use that by all means. It adds to the rich flavors of these incredibly moreish cookies.
  These do resemble Ginger Crinkles or Molasses Crinkles cookies for sure, but I will tell you up front these are not them.  These are soft and chew, whereas molasses crinkles are more crisp and quite a bit harder, crumblier.  Perfect dunking cookies.
These are sweet and spicy with a subtle bite from the black pepper.  Chewy and moist.  Perfect to enjoy with a  mid morning or afternoon hot cuppa.
 They are a bit soft for dunking I think. But you can if you don't mind pieces of cookie in your tea.  I am one who doesn't mind in the least.
These would go very well with a nice bowl of pure vanilla ice cream. I can almost taste it now. What a spectacular dessert that would be.
 I use mild every day molasses for these. Not the black strap.  But you can certainly use full or black strap if you want a more robust flavor! 
In the UK, you can use a mix of golden syrup and dark treacle in the same measure. 30ml of each.  Dark treacle is a bit too strong I feel.  
 I will never forget when I first moved over to the UK.  I was asked by the ladies at church to do a presentation on Canada, including some Canadian foods.  
I decided to make my Canadian mother-in-law's gingersnaps.  I used dark treacle and they ended up inedible. The flavor is far too strong for anything like that or for these cookies.  Best to cut it with equal amounts of golden syrup.
 This recipe makes exactly one dozen moreishly delicious molasses cookies.  It is a recipe I adapted from  the America's Test Kitchen cooker book entitled, The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook. 
If you are a small family and are looking for smaller sized recipes, I highly recommend this book.  This was one of the books I chose to bring over from the UK.  Its one of my favor books for small sized cooking.
 There is everything in it from soup to nuts.  Over 650 recipes which covers pretty much everything anyone could want to eat!! 
As it says on the back cover, "No kitchen math, no unwanted surprises, just perfect food, every time you cook."  And that's a promise you can bank on.
 There is really only one thing wrong with these cookies and this recipe and that is that it only makes a dozen  cookies. haha  You will probably inhale at least two of them as soon as they come out of the oven, so be warned! 
These are addictive, but also very simple to make.  They are destined to become a firm favorite!!  I enjoyed some on this day with a hot cup of lemon and ginger tea for the win!
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Molasses Spice Cookies

Yield: Makes 12 cookiesAuthor: Marie RaynerPrep time: 8 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 20 MinSoft, chewy, deliciously flavored with baking spices and molasses. These are the perfect molasses cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 TBS (140g + 2 TBS) all purpose (plain) flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (45g) granulated sugar
• 3 TBS packed soft dark brown sugar
• 6 TBS butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (60ml) molasses
• 1 large free range egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• more granulated sugar to finish (about 2 TBS)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.  Have ready a half sheet pan. Line with a silicone liner or baking paper. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, soda, salt and all the spices together in a bowl. Set aside. 
3. Whisk the melted butter together with both sugars, the egg yolk, the molasses and the vanilla until smooth.
4. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, mixing them both together really well, until you have a soft dough.
5. Place the finishing sugar in a shallow bowl.
6. Shape the cookie dough into balls, using 1 1/2 TBS of dough for each.  Roll in the finishing sugar.
7. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving a 2 inch space in between each one.
8. Flatten each one slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass or a metal measuring cup until each ball is a flat circle, 2 inches in diameter.
9. Bake in the preheated oven on a middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the bake time.  The edges should be set and beginning to brown.
10. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before scooping off onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Store in an airtight container. Delicious!

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