A cookie with cinnamon, ginger, molasses, and cloves – need I say more? A warm and fragrant, soft, slightly chewy, melt-in-your-mouth bite of nostalgia. A classic spice cookie that you will want to make year after year. It’s a Fall tradition in our house!
Molasses Crinkles were considered by the Betty Crocker staff to be the best cookie of 1930 – 1935. “Cookies banish Depression rules – after the stock market crash, money was scarce and families enjoyed simple pleasures like reading aloud, taking nature hikes and visiting friends – all occasions for chewy, hearty cookies like these. Notes on molasses: Molasses was the chief sweetener in American homes in the 18th century and early 19th centuries. Every cabin and covered wagon had its molasses jug; it was used in baking and eaten on flapjacks and on bread. Today, molasses is used more for its rich, mellow flavor than for the sweetening. Light molasses comes from the first boil of the sugar cane stalks; dark from the second.”
-Betty Crocker Best Cookies
- 3/4 cup soft vegetable shortening
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ginger
- Granulated sugar for rolling
- Mix shortening, sugar, egg and molasses thoroughly with an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon. Blend all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and combine with molasses mixture and stir or mix until combined. Refrigerate for one hour or longer.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place balls 3″ apart on a greased baking sheet or a sheet lined with baking parchment paper. Sprinkle each cookie with 2 or 3 drops of water. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or just until set. Makes 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size you roll them.