soft molasses ginger cookies
Remember that episode of the Simpsons when Bart and Lisa go to Kamp Krusty and end up sewing wallets for the black market and eating gruel? The best moment being when Bart clutches his Krusty doll to his chest, mumbling over and over “Krusty is coming Krusty is coming Krusty is coming…”
That’s how I’ve felt this week, only replace “Krusty” with “Christmas.” I just seem to be under a cloud of bad luck in the past week or so. I won’t waste time by divulging sad details, but the thought of Christmas being less than 8 weeks away has been a definite comfort, since it really is the most wonderful time of the year to me. Endless baking, being with my family, Bing Crosby on repeat… it’s just a happy time. And although I should be focused on Thanksgiving and that menu in the near future, I can’t get Christmas off my mind, or the classic flavor of gingerbread, which is so quintessentially Christmas to me. So I looked through my “To Cook” list I have posted on my fridge (it’s long, trust me) and saw these way down near the bottom.
I love gingersnaps but most of the time end up playing with recipes to make them, well, less snappy. I’ve always been a fan of those “extra soft” versions of store-bought chocolate chip cookies (it’s practically like eating raw cookie dough, mm) so the idea of a soft ginger cookie piqued my interest quite a bit. Also because they have two very unconventional ingredients in them: molasses and Dijon mustard. I know, I know, most people are going to scrunch up their face and say “WHY?” but trust me when I tell you – it adds this smoky, mysterious flavor layer to the cookies that gives it an extra zing without tasting at all like actual mustard. I know you won’t believe me until you taste them yourselves, so go! Try them now, and maybe sing an early-timed Christmas carol or two when you do.
Soft Molasses Ginger Cookies
Based on the recipe from Gourmet.
Makes 6 dozen small cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 TBL Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup mild molasses
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- Coarse sparkling sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line as many baking sheets you have (up to 6) with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in egg, mustard, and molasses for a few moments. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled, it will come together once you put in the remaining ingredients.
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With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients mixture in 3 batches, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until smooth.
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Drop ½ TBL batter per cookie onto baking sheets, arranging them about an inch apart (cookies will spread slightly). Sprinkle with sparkling sugar if you have it, or just granulated.
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Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are puffed and dry to the touch but still soft, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on sheet 1 minute, then transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Note: If you use sparkling sugar (or regular), be sure to wipe off the excess before you reuse the baking sheet. I, uh, may have lost a dozen cookies in there because the existing leftover sugar burned the bottoms of one unfortunate set.
