Molasses Spice Cookies
makes about 22 cookies
For best flavor, make sure that your spices are fresh. Light or mild molasses gives the cookies a milder flavor; for a stronger flavor, use dark molasses. Either way, measure molasses in a liquid measure. If you find that the dough sticks to your palms as you shape the balls, moisten your hands occasionally in a bowl filled with cold tap water and shake off the excess. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time; if baked two at a time, the cookies started on the bottom rack won’t develop the attractive cracks. Remove the cookies from the oven when they still look slightly raw and underbaked. If you plan to glaze the cookies (see recipe below), save the parchment paper used to line the cookie sheet during baking.

1/3 cup (about 2½ ounces) granulated sugar, plus ½ cup for dipping
2¼ cups (11¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted
butter, softened
1/3 cup packed (2¾ ounces) dark brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup light or dark molasses

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ½ cup sugar for dipping in 8- or 9-inch cake pan.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.


3. In standing
mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter with brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl once. Give dough a final stir by hand to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.

4. Using tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms into 1¼- to 1½-inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.


 

5. Bake, one sheet at a time and reversing position of baking sheet from front to back halfway through baking, until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone), about 11 minutes. Do not overbake.

6. Cool the cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature and serve.

 

Molasses Spice Cookies with Dark Rum Glaze
For the glaze, start by adding the smaller amount of rum; if the glaze is too thick to drizzle, whisk in up to an additional 1/2 tablespoon rum.

Follow recipe for Molasses Spice Cookies. When completely cool, return rack with cookies to cooled parchment-lined baking sheets.

 Whisk 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (about 4 ounces) and 2½ to 3 tablespoons dark rum in medium bowl until smooth.

Drizzle glaze over cookies with soup spoon (see illustration below), dipping spoon into glaze as necessary.

Transfer cookies to wire rack and allow glaze to dry, 10 to 15 minutes.