How many of you have enjoyed a freshly made cookie straight from the oven? One that was made from scratch with all the ingredients that make a cookie truly amazing. After hearing how many people have never enjoyed a homemade cookie, I knew it was time to start posting some recipes that you can easily make and will absolutely love. Not much beats a soft, warm molasses cookie that melts in your mouth. Top it with a little ice cream and you are in heaven.
If you live in Seattle, you have to try one of the cookies at Three Girls Bakery. The neighbor who told me about the bakery happened to have a handwritten recipe for their molasses cookies. I baked several batches and they were good but did not taste like the ones we had in Pike’s Market. Maybe the flour from the different areas changed the taste. Wheat grown in the colder, northern temperatures is very different than wheat grown in the hot south.
It was a good starting point and lead me to create the most amazing eggless molasses cookie. These are just as good as my eggless oatmeal raisin cookies. They stay soft for several days (if they make it that long). Adding the milk and molasses at the end is crucial for these to stay soft! The flour is very important too. You really need to use a King Arthur unbleached flour for this recipe to get the dough to stick together. Batches with other flour tend to crumble and are not as soft.
If you do not like to use shortening, then use butter. Make sure it is at room temperature first. The butter will make the dough spread more so the cookies will not be as thick and fluffy. You have to chill this dough or they will spread all over the baking sheet.
Directions
1) Cream 3/4 shortening (or butter) with 1 cup sugar for 3-4 minutes. Spooning down the mixing bowl two times. (Note: If you use butter, the cookies will spread. Shortening works a lot better.)
2) Add 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 cup molasses. I prefer the Whole Foods organic molasses. Mix for 1 minute.
3) Sift the 2 cups of King Arthur flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon into a bowl. Add the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Hand Harvested Fleur de Sel. The Fleur de Sel crystals are too large for the sifter. Slowly add sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix together.
4) Add 2 more tablespoons of milk and more molasses to taste. You can taste this since there are no eggs. I usually add another 1/4 cup of molasses. Whole Foods organic molasses is not as strong as some of the other brands. Mix by hand. It will be a very moist dough.
5) If you are making this ahead of time, store in the freezer in a log shape wrapped in parchment or wax paper and then in an airtight plastic bag.The dough will last several weeks. If you are cooking them that day, use a small ice cream scooper to create the balls and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
6) Press down to flatten the ball and coat with granulated sugar.
7) Cook for around 8- 10 minutes. You will smell them when they are ready. They will crack and inside the cracks will not look cooked. Do not over cook them because they will turn into bricks. Cookies continue to cook outside the oven on the pan.
8) Let them cool several minutes and remove with a spatula to place on a serving dish. Enjoy!
If you are looking for a good teacher’s gift your children can make with you, these cookies make great presents. Everyone wants something homemade (as long as it is good) and teachers love the gifts make by their students. Make extra because the kids will want to eat some of the dough and the warm cookies. I bought these compostable bags online and the tags are from World Market. They are perfect for teachers with the little owls!
Original Recipe (Three Girls Bakery version)
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix shortening. Cool. Add sugar, molasses, and egg. Mix well. Sift dry ingredients and add. Mix well. Chill. Roll in sugar before baking.
