Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Surprise Wednesday Night Post! Woohoo!

Food-Blogger-Swap-2015This year I participated in the 5th year of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap! The FBCS is a really fun (and delicious!) event for food bloggers that helps to raise money for a different charity every year. This year, proceeds are going to Cookies for Kid’s Cancer, a non-profit that helps fund new therapies for paediatric cancer. 

Each participating blogger is matched with three other bloggers from your country to send cookies to, while three other ‘unknown’ bloggers send you cookies! I sent these Molasses Cookies to Stacey at 27th and Olive, Marie at Food Nouveau, and Jason at Jason Sandeman, RSE

I received a dozen of each of these, and they were all so delicious! Thank you so much!
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate & Pistachios from Homemade and Yummy
Almond Cranberry Biscotti from My Cookbook Addiction
White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies from Xoxo Bella

 Today’s the posting day, so you’re getting your second recipe early this week! These Molasses Cookies were my entry, and I’m so excited to share this old family recipe with you. If you are interested in participating in next year’s swap, keep an eye on the Cookie Swap page! 

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got the same go-to list of 10-15 recipes that you just make over and over and over. I mean, the blog’s been great for expanding my kitchen vocabulary, don’t get me wrong, but I still get into some serious cooking ruts.

Despite eating the same thing every week, I always have trouble meal-planning. One time I even tried to make spreadsheets (thennnn we moved to the Caribbean and found out what Mr. Nomato’s allergy was, and my spreadsheets became useless. They were full of allergens, AND we never knew what the grocery boat was going to bring from week to week. I do not miss that. )

So Mr. Nomato and I have a very familiar conversation when I make my list and ask: “What do you want me to get?”

This is almost always followed by “I have no idea. Something delicious?” (we’re so helpful….)

Except for when it’s followed by: “Can you see if they have GIANT molasses cookies?”

… they never do.

I don’t think I’ve ever been able to fulfill that request, because I know exactly what Mr. Nomato has in mind, and such a thing does not exist in any grocery store, not even in a place where everyone frickin’ loves their molasses.

He wants the molasses cookies that are the size of a plate. The ones that are rich and dark, chewy and crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth soft, still warm from the oven. The ones with sugar sprinkled on the top at just the right time so they’re half melted into the cookie.

Such cookies are the things of fairy tales.

I promise you, these molasses cookies are just about as close as you’ll ever get.

The recipe is fairly simple, toss everything in a bowl. Mix. Put in the fridge and wait.

After about an hour, dump your mixture out on a floured surface. Try not to laugh at how it kind of looks like Jabba the Hutt. (Guys. You cannot even understand how excited I am for Star Wars. Nostalgia + Hype = excited beyond belief. I hope it’s good!)

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Roll that baby out. Cover it in a ton of flour as you go to prevent some sticking. You want it to be about ¼” thick.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Cut out those cookies! I was making these to send to my amazing Food Blogger Cookie Swap matches, so I used a more reasonable cookie cutter. But if you want GIANT molasses cookies (as they should be), I recommend something larger, like a small bowl. Or town-sized dome.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Cut cut cut!

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

It’s really hard not to eat the dough. Okay okay fine. I ate some of the dough. OKAY. A lot of the dough. How can you go wrong with molasses? That totally gets rid of any salmonella, right? Right?

Pop those bad boys on a cookie sheet and stick ‘em in the oven. These little ones only took 10 minutes, but when I make the GIANT ones, it tends to be closer to 12-13. I mean, if you have to taste them to test and make sure it’s the right amount of time, I’m not going to stop you.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

And there you have it, the darkest… richest…

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Chewiest…

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Crumbliest…

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Melt-in your mouth softest…

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Still warm from the oven-est molasses cookies.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Make sure to sprinkle the tops with sugar straight from the oven to get the perfect texture!

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

YUM. It’s Christmas time, so enjoy ‘em with a glass of the ‘nog.

Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies
Soft, chewy, made with dark molasses, these babies will melt in your mouth.
Course: Dessert
Servings: 24 -30 Medium Cookies
Author: Cristina
Ingredients
  • 1 cup melted shortening
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, cream the melted shortening and brown sugar.
  2. While mixing, add in the egg and molasses.
  3. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, and then add into the mixture.
  4. One cup at a time, add the flour, and then add the ginger, cinnamon and salt.
  5. Mix until everything is completely incorporated. The dough should be quite thick and mold-able.
  6. Chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  8. Roll out on a floured surface, and cut out with a cookie cutter to the size of your choice.
  9. Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie.
  10. Let them cool for at least minute or two before you eat them!

About the author

Cristina

An avid lover of all things East Coast and delicious, Cristina blogs at I Say Nomato, a site dedicated to exploring and inventing allergy-friendly food. When she's not experimenting in the kitchen, she can be found curled up with a good book or planning her next adventure.