Day 12 … Classic Molasses Cookies

So this is it. Day 12. We did it. We now have a full 36 different cookies made from a single simple butter dough in our holiday – or anytime – repertoire. Nicely done folks! Today as the capper for the final day of the 12 Days of Cookies, a very simple, easy and rather Christmasy one too … Classic Molasses Cookies.

It’s the basic dough and all the spices that make Christmas, well, Christmas. There’s cinnamon and ginger, of course, but also allspice and cloves and a good glug of molasses which makes all those baking spices deeper and darker and spicier. The cookies are then rolled in a big, grainy sugar. I like turbinado, which is easily found these days (sometimes found as “Sugar in the Raw”) but a large grain white sugar works too. The combination of the spice and the crunch is just perfect and the ideal way to cap off this year’s cookie adventure.

Thank you for playing along with my 3^rd 12 Days of Cookies. Let me remind you that these recipes aren’t just for the holidays, they’re great all year round. I really didn’t think I had 12 new ideas in me this year but turns out I did. Next year? Well, that’s another story. I have 11 months to figure that out. If you have any ideas that I haven’t covered in the existing 36 recipes, by all means, shoot them my way in the comments. Maybe I’ll crowd source Year 4. Merry Christmas to you. Eat drink and be merry!

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: THE END. Not that any of the others wouldn’t be good but this is the one, the ideal one, that you put on that cookie plate for Santa tomorrow night. I mean really now, is there anything more classically Christmas than a molassey gingery cookie? I think not.

2016 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup: Jam Thumbprints, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Butter Rum Bars, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Russian Tea Cakes, Rosemary Apricot Shortbread, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Chocolate Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Coconut Lime Sticks, Pecan Triangles, Peppermint Crisps

2017 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Raspberry Linzer Bars, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Banana Walnut Bars, PBJ Sandwich Cookies, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons

2018 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup to date:
Basic Butter Cookie Dough
Day 1: Jam Streusel Tarts
Day 2: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels
Day 3: Orange Sesame Crisps
Day 4: Almond Raspberry Strips
Day 5: Peppermint Brownie Bars
Day 6: Pecan Tassies
Day 7: Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti
Day 8: Date Nut Swirls
Day 9: Black Walnut Cookies with Maple Glaze
Day 10: Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze
Day 11: Espresso Crinkles

DAY 12: CLASSIC MOLASSES COOKIES

Basic butter cookie dough, room temperature – recipe here

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a few sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature cookie dough with the molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, baking soda and salt on medium speed until fully combined.
3. Roll the cookie dough into Tablespoon sized balls and roll in the turbinado sugar until fully coated. Roll twice if needed.
4. Place on the prepared sheet pans about 1” apart.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set but still soft on the outside, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
6. Let cool completely then store in and airtight container.
7. Do ahead: make the dough, roll into balls and freeze until firm on a sheet pan. Transfer to a Ziploc bag labeled with the baking time and temperature and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, let defrost a few minutes then roll in the sugar and bake as directed.