What I liked
I have fond memories of growing up with cookies. I’d come in from school on a cold winter day and be welcomed by the scent of fresh baked cookies. I would turn the corner to the kitchen and see an after school snack that my mom had lovingly prepared. This recipe for soft molasses cookies took me back to a simpler time when I had few cares or worries.
I loved the simplicity of this recipe. Honestly they mix together fast, the dough rolls out easy, and they bake in almost no time at all. The cookies themselves were crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It was a delightful texture that kept me coming back for more. I also love the subtle heat you get from the fresh ginger juxtaposed with the slight bitterness from the molasses. It kept my tongue doing dances for the next little while. If you want a quick after school snack, or after work snack, this is the perfect recipe for you. These soft molasses cookies are just what you need.
Essential Equipment
Kids love cookies in a variety of fun shapes. These cookies are perfect for that. You can roll them out and cut them into any shape you’d like. This set has 101 different shapes. Enjoy! You can get yours here.
Original Recipe for Soft Molasses Cookies
1 Cup Molasses
1 Tablespoonful ginger
2 tablespoon warm water or milk
1 teaspoonful soda
1/2 cup butter softened
Flour to mix soft
Mix in the order given, dissolving the soda in the milk. Roll out one third of an inch thick. Cut in small rounds.
Updated Recipe for Soft Molasses Cookies
As far as recipe updates go, I only have two suggestions. First, bake these at 375 for 8-10 minutes. That seemed to work perfectly for me. Second, the recipe is very sparse on how much flour you should put in. I didn’t measure precisely, but I kept adding flour until it formed a soft dough. I’d say 3 cups of flour is near the ballpark for these soft molasses cookies. I then made sure to flour the surface and rolling pin before rolling them out. I used halloween shapes to be on theme with the season.
What I Learned
I learned that that the only thing different between this recipe and a ginger snap, is the thickness of the dough. Seriously, in the cookbook that I used there are two recipes, one for ginger snaps, and the other for soft molasses cookies. They have identical ingredients and portions of those ingredients. The only difference was the thickness of the dough. These do crisp up when baked extensively. For that nice crunch simply roll them 1/4 thick. At that thickness I’d avoid using a cookie cutter to make the various shapes, particularly if it has an intricate design.
Recipe Reference
Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book-What to Do and What Not To Do in Cooking 1883