Description
These soft gingerbread cookies offer a delightful balance of warming spices and molasses sweetness. Easy to make and perfect for the holiday season, these cookies are tender, flavorful, and loved by both gingerbread fans and those new to molasses treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon (increase to 2 tsp for stronger cinnamon flavor)
- ½ tsp dried ground ginger (increase to 1-2 tsp for stronger ginger flavor)
Optional
- Granulated sugar to roll cookie dough balls in
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) to ensure it reaches the perfect baking temperature for the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step incorporates air, creating a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Molasses: Add the egg and molasses to the butter-sugar mixture and mix well until fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger until evenly distributed.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until a uniform dough forms without overmixing.
- Shape Dough Balls: Scoop or form dough balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. Optionally, roll these balls in granulated sugar for an extra bit of crunch and sweetness on the outside.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Place the dough balls about 2 to 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat to allow space for spreading while baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, allowing them to firm up.
Notes
- These gingerbread cookies remain soft and chewy, perfect for those who prefer tender cookies over crunchy gingersnaps.
- If you like a stronger cinnamon or ginger flavor, feel free to increase the spices as suggested.
- Rolling the cookie dough balls in sugar adds a festive sparkle and subtle crunch to the cookies.
- Allow cookies to fully cool on a wire rack after initial baking to avoid breakage and help them set properly.
- Perfect for holiday baking or any time you crave a comforting spicy cookie.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 143 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 158 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
