Chewy Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

View Instructions

Makes:

about 30 cookies

Prep Time:

15 minutes
plus chilling

Cook Time:

10-12 minutes

Category:

Introduction

About this Recipe

Recipe from Baking Day with Anna Olson
Appetite by Random House, 2020

This recipe is the result of a personal quest. After popping into a small coffee shop in Toronto to warm up on a frosty day, I was enticed to stay by the wondrous aroma of ginger, molasses and chocolate baking. These ingredients were combined in an oversized cookie that was warm and gooey but not overly sweet, and its intensity paired beautifully with my coffee. This is my version, which yields a smaller cookie without sacrificing the pop of ginger and chocolate. I love these cookies—they were the first recipe I played with for this book and I haven’t grown tired of them yet.

Ingredients

¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2/3 cup (140 g) packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (87 g) fancy molasses
1½ Tbsp (9 g) finely grated fresh ginger
1 large egg
1½ cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (60 g) cocoa powder (Dutch process is ideal)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp fine salt
1 cup (175 g) dark chocolate chips
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

NOTES
To get the best-looking crackle to these cookies, make the dough and chill it (portioned or not) for at least 2 hours and then resist the temptation to press the cookies flat before baking. It’s the slow melting and spreading that develops the crackle as the cookies bake.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.

Step 2

Use a small scoop or two teaspoons to portion spoonfuls of cookie dough. Shape each into a ball and roll in the granulated sugar to coat. Arrange the cookies on the baking trays, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between them. Do not press the cookies flat. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until they crackle and feel set at the edges when gently pressed with a spatula.

Step 3

Let the cookies cool on the trays on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before lifting them from the tray to the rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.