Ginger Molasses Cookies


My husband and his family have definitely helped turn me onto ginger cookies. My father-in-law just loves them, and the whole gang really has a thing for ginger. So when my darling cousin Portia (on my father-in-laws side, see!) made me these awesomely chewy ginger cookies, I knew I had to share them with you all.
These guys are seriously so good. The texture and spice is spot on. And look at that crackle! It's actually perfect.
The secret here is of course the candied ginger, but more technically speaking it's to space the cookies far enough apart, and to bake the dough straight from the fridge. I like to form the balls with a scoop, and refrigerate them for about 5-10 minutes before I put them in to bake. Make sure you don't over crowd your pan when you're placing them down, I put about 6-8 max per pan. I found that if I didn't do these two things, the cookies didn't end up with that perfect crackle on top, and melted into each other slightly.
The unsulfured molasses is probably the one you have in your cabinet, but if you are going to buy it, just check to make sure. It's a flavor thing. As always, room temperature ingredients are key. If you forget and are in a pinch, microwave the butter very slowly, in no more than 10 second increments until it's soft but not melted. If it's melted you've gone too far and it will affect the cookie outcome. For the eggs, just let them hang out in warm water (not boiling of course) until they feel room temperature.
Trust me on these things, because if you're gifting these holiday cookies (more on that here), you want them to taste and look amazing!






- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups, plus extra for rolling granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 cup candied ginger