Chewy Molasses Cookies filled with dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 135 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) molasses
- 245 grams (1 and 3/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 150 grams (1 cup) good quality dark chocolate (50-70% cocoa), roughly chopped
- Demerara sugar, for rolling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two baking trays or cookie sheets with baking paper or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugars and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed for a minute or two until smooth and creamy.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat briefly until combined. Add molasses and beat again just until combined and creamy.
- Add flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon and mix on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms. Stir through chocolate chunks.
- Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes – or the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Scoop cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5 tablespoons each) and roll them smooth using your hands. Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar until completely covered.
- Place on cookie dough balls on prepared trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread naturally in the oven.
- Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Leave cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Molasses: Molasses is a thick, dark sugar syrup that boasts a sweet, almost smokey flavour. You can use light molasses or dark molasses in this recipe, but do not use blackstrap molasses or black treacle which is extremely bitter.
Dark chocolate: I’ve used a block of dark chocolate (70% cocoa) that I chopped by hand. You can use any chocolate you like – even chocolate chips. OR you can leave the chocolate out for a more traditional Molasses Cookie.
Demerara sugar: This is a coarse raw sugar that creates a crunchy exterior. If you don’t have access to it, you can simply use extra brown sugar or caster sugar – or omit the sugar roll entirely.
Storage: Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make-ahead: Keep cookie dough in the fridge covered in plastic wrap until you are ready to bake. Bring the dough back to room temperature before rolling in sugar and baking.
Alternatively, you can roll cookie dough into balls and store in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer. To bake, simply bring back to room temperature and then bake as per instructions above.
Bake time: For soft and chewy cookies, consider taking them at 11-12 minutes. Remember cookies firm up as they cool. However, if you like a cookie with a ‘snap’ and crunch, consider baking them for 2-3 extra minutes.
