Molasses Crinkle Cookies

I like cookies - kind of a lot.  This blog has featured Bribe Cookies, Chai-Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Christmas Spritzers in the past - but that's hardly the whole cookie repertoire.  The Chai cookies are Kristin's invention and the Bribe Cookies are mine, respectively, and the Spritzers are Kristin's family recipe.  It's long since time that I feature one of my own childhood favorites - molasses crinkles.  My mom (hi mom!) made these fairly often when I was a kid.  Even though there's a strong savory element to these cookies, I've loved them since I was a kid.

These Molasses Crinkles are thick, chewy, and complex.  Molasses and sugar combine for that rich brown-sugar flavor - cinnamon, ginger, and clove add depth, and the crackly, sugary top adds just the right amount of sweetness.  They're good by themselves or make a fantastic ice-cream cookie sandwich.

Here's what you'll need: flour, sugar, shortening, molasses, an egg, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger (I used minced, but ground works fine too), cloves, and salt.

First, cream together the shortening and sugar.

Next, add the molasses and egg, and mix thoroughly.

In another large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well into a dough.  This dough will be dense and heavy and may develop its own cracks even at this stage - don't worry!

Cover the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

After refrigeration, roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, then roll the top half of each ball in some extra granulated sugar to coat.

Arrange those sugar-coated balls on greased cookie sheets a few inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until tops are cracked and underside is just golden brown.  Be careful not to overcook - the tops will still look fine, but the bottoms can burn easily.

Cool on wire racks and devour promptly.  Give these a try with a little vanilla ice-cream - it's good!

Recipe: Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Prep Time: 75 Minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups Flour
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 3/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1/4 cup Molasses
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ginger, finely minced (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Additional white sugar to coat dough-balls

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar.  Add molasses and beaten egg and mix thoroughly.
2. In a second large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients (except extra white sugar).  Stir to mix.
3. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well to combine.  Dough will be heavy and dense.
4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and dip tops into extra white sugar.  Arrange balls sugar-side-up on greased cookie sheets a few inches apart.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees until tops are cracked and bottoms are golden-brown.
7. Cool on wire racks.