Try different sugars! Here, I used maple sugar from a sugar shack in Montreal.
I love molasses spice cookies. That chewy texture and deep molasses taste is so good, especially with a cup of coffee. Several years ago, I undertook a quest to find the right recipe that matched the molasses spice cookies that Starbucks had. I’m not sure I found the recipe, but after several taste-tests from my fellow SB addicts, we found one we liked and then of course, I tweaked it to my tastes. This one has a more pronounced molasses taste, as that’s what I love. I also dumped in some nutmeg and adjusted the quantities of the salt and other spices.
Molasses Spice Cookie
This recipe is pretty easy. Just need to make sure the butter and eggs are brought up to room-temperature before you begin. The molasses should be in ml, but I like making this all in one bowl – less to wash!
Ingredients
- 170g salted butter, softened
- 220g dark brown sugar
- 1 egg, large
- 160g molasses (1/2 c)
- 3g salt (1/2 tsp)
- 6g baking soda (1 tsp)
- 1.5g cloves (1/4 tsp)
- 3g cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
- 3g ginger (1/2 tsp)
- 1.5g nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
- 350g all purpose flour
Directions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
- Add molasses and egg. Beat until well-mixed.
- Add salt, baking soda, and spices.
- Fold in flour.
- Chill dough 1-2 hours until firm.
- Scoop dough into balls and roll in sugar.
Step 6 can be done before step 5 and dough can be frozen to bake later.
Bake at 325°F for about 12 minutes from frozen. This is for a #70 scoop (3″ cookies), which equates to about 45-50 cookies. Highly recommend doing a test-bake with your oven. I found that it varies a lot. Make sure you leave it on the tray for a minute or two to set.
What you’re looking for is that sweet-spot when you start to get those attractive craggy splits in the cookie – but only just. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week. Best eaten in the first few days unless you really under-bake them.
More photos
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September 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Love the last photo. Will have to give it a go.
September 18, 2011 at 9:16 pm
This recipe is pretty similar to what you had, Candy! I was sharing some of my cookie stash and wanted to share the recipe with a colleague XD
October 3, 2011 at 9:34 pm
I bet they are amazing!
November 15, 2011 at 11:54 am
Ooh – would this also be like SB’s ginger molasses cookie?
January 14, 2012 at 10:58 am
Ally > I think they’re pretty close. I’ve found that it’s dependent on the kind/brand of molasses you buy. I’ve tried it with two of the local ones and Grandma’s is a lighter taste while the other (comes in a brown and yellow carton) is a much deeper/strong molasses flavour (less like Sbux) and darker to boot.
AND if you underbake them a lot, they can last a few weeks, even. Not as great, but doable.