Ginger Molasses Softies

I absolutely love molasses.  In anything.  It should be one of the food groups.  I know there are a lot of you out there that are saying “Yuk!”, but give the “Ginger Molasses Softies” in Shauna Sever’s book entitled Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland a try and you will be converted. OMG, these are the best cookies ever.  Big, soft, chewy and crunchy thanks to the turbinado sugar that they are rolled in. 

After more than a decade of living in California, author Shauna Sever rediscovered the storied, simple pleasures of home baking in her Midwestern kitchen. This unique collection of more than 125 recipes includes refreshed favorites and new treats.

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses
  • ½ cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup turbinado sugar for coating cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the molasses, sour cream and egg yolk until smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds.  Add the brown sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Slowly pour in the molasses mixture and beat until well mixed – the mixture will curdle.  Reduce the mixer speed to low.  Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until the dough is smooth.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 1 hour.

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pour the turbinado sugar into a shallow bowl.  Using a cookie scoop or 2 spoons, portion the dough into generous 2-tablespoon portions.  Working a few portions at a time, gently roll the dough portions into balls and roll in the turbinado sugar to coat completely.  Evenly space the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake until the edges of the cookies are set and can be lifted off the sheets with a fingertip, but are still quite soft in the centers, about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time.  Let the cookies cool on the sheets for several minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes about 30 cookies.

The cookies keep sealed in an airtight container for up to 1 week, and they only get better as they rest.