Foodie Blogroll

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Molasses-Ginger Cookies ~ Martha Mondays

I have taken some time off from participating in Martha Mondays, just because I've been so busy or it was a dessert that I know would go to waste at our house. This week was my turn to choose and I love molasses cookies, and ginger cookies and I already have an awesome recipe for ginger molasses cookies that I love. So I thought it would be fun to try one of Martha Stewart's molasses cookies for Martha Mondays, just to see how they compare. I will have to post the other one later when I make em. To this recipe one I did make a few changes (ok what did you expect?) not too far off though, just tiny changes. I always add less sugar in cookies, quick breads, desserts and such than it calls for, because I don't like things too sweet. I also used only 1 teaspoon of ground ginger(I thought 2 was a bit much) and then I added 2 tablespoons of minced crystallized ginger (because I love crystallized ginger in stuff). I used 1/8 tsp of ground white pepper instead of 1 white peppercorn? I had some white pepper already on hand from when I made my chai spice mix and I like the extra bite that the ginger and pepper give it!

Molasses-Ginger Cookies ~ source ~ Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 freshly ground white pepper (I used 1/8 tsp. of ground white pepper)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Wrap dough in plastic, flattened into a disk. Chill until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make 1 1/2-inch balls of dough; roll each in sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill 20 minutes.

Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until firm around the edges and slightly soft in the center, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Makes 24 cookies.


I made the dough last night then baked some this morning before work and saved the rest to bake after I got home from work today. Last night when I made the batter I was surprised on how runny it was for us to be able to wrap in plastic and flatten into a disk. So I just put my batter bowl with it's lid on and put the whole thing in the fridge. When I got it out this morning to make the cookies the dough was perfect to work with. I just scooped it out with an ice cream scoop, rolled into balls and then dipped into some Martha Stewart sanding sugar I happened to already have on hand (it's pink but too light to tell).

The recipe was pretty easy or straight forward as far as Martha Stewart recipes go. The only odd step was to chill the dough for 20 minutes more after you roll and dip and place them on the cookie sheet. I didn't do that and they seemed fine with out it. Besides I really didn't have room for my large stoneware bar pan in the refrigerator.

They were very good and the texture was different from my usual molasses ginger cookies. They were lightly crisp on the outside and yet soft in the center. Mmmmm....so good when they were still warm from the oven.

They were just as good this morning for breakfast with my cup of coffee. So join us when you can for
Hosted by Brette of Martha and Me . You should check out all the other Martha Stewart recipes and products she checks out and reviews for us.
Also check out Brenda's blog Brenda's Canadian Kitchen she always has something fun going on. She hosts Cookbook Sunday's. I still am planning on joining that one of these weeks.
Pru of Perfecting Pru is always a faithful participant, except next week, she says she won't do clams! Huh! :D Her blog is delightful and full of insight. Full of family and everyday life (which I love).
Hope you all can sing along...I mean join in!

26 comments:

  1. Lyndsey, I used 1/8 tsp. white pepper too. The one peppercorn thing got me confused, lol. I obviously did something wrong though, as no one else's cookies were as flat as mine. I followed the recipe exactly but mine turned out flat as pancakes (but still delicious). Yours are much nicer looking. I had a hard time with the dough too and wish I had left it in the fridge overnight like you did. I wonder if that has anything to do with them being so flat. Anyway, it was a great pick Lyndsey and yes, we'll have to compare our favourites. I'll be making mine soon (within the next month probably) so you can see how the recipe compares to yours.

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  2. They look delish! and not too difficult either and they really came out so nice - they look just perfect and you would never know the sugar was pink ;) I think my hubby would really like these with his coffee too!

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  3. Brenda, that's right yours were flatter, but I didn't think anything of it because my other recipe is flat like that. Yours still looked good though. I didn't plan to refrigerate overnight, but it worked out fine that way.

    Ricepatty, thanks! they are very easy to make. I'm glad I got to use the sugar, even though you can't see that it's pink. :D

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  4. Your cookies look so perfect Lyndsey...I like the sugar coating on the top. Thanks for sharing:D

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  5. lovely cookies and you made me smile by your comment!

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  6. These cookies sound wonderfully spicy, just how I like them.

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  7. Oh Lyndz, glad to see you posting something this week! The ginger cookies are very tempting. Actually, I'm in cookies making mood recently and still planning...which to start first! haha... Just too many of them! Hope you're having a great day.
    Cheers, Kristy
    p/s Is Wade back yet?

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  8. I love molasses cookies and even more so when spiced! Great recipe Lyndsey, thanks!

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  9. Wow! The cookies look gorgeous. Ginger could bring wonders to the baked goodies.

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  10. Oh wow...these look so pretty! Love that sugary and cracked look. I need these in this cold weather :D

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  11. They look great with the sanding sugar. I liked them more and more as time went on, even though they were a bit heavy on the ginger for me! Thank you for the mention of the blog. I'm setting myself up for huge tasks before Christmas, I hope I can keep up! Yours was a great pick, but I'm still not doing clams next week! Yuck!

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  12. If I recall...I do have a similar recipe which I haven't made in ages. Will have to dig it out and merge it with your very successful looking cookie. I could eat it right off the screen ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

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  13. I thought there was too much ginger too. I love the crystallized ginger though as an idea! Your cookies look so beautiful!

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  14. Lindsey, your delicious cookies look like crystal.

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  15. Wow! I love ginger cookies and these look so good :-)

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  16. What a picture perfect cookie, and I love the texture. I marked them in my book to make and now I can't wait!

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  17. These look delicious! Made me want to make some right away! :)

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  18. wow...wat a healthy n delicious recipe...wanna try now...

    Tasty Appetite

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  19. Jeannie, thanks that was so nice, I think your baking is fantastic!

    Bo, it must be a Martha is rubbing off on me...hehehe!

    Chow and Chatter, that's good, it was supposed to make you smile! :D

    Lisa, thanks for stopping by. I like them spicy too and it could use a little more crystallized ginger IMO.

    Kristy, cookies are one thing I can bake, they must not be so picky as breads! I hope to get more than two posts a week....and yes Wade is home now.

    tasteofbeirut, I know not everyone likes molasses, but it's always been a favorite of mine. My grandma used to make some pink frosted molasses cookies just for me when I was a kid.

    Sanjeeta kk, they did smell so good when they were in the oven.

    MaryMoh, perfect for cold weather and a hot beverage.

    Pru, I'm glad you liked it. I could of put more of the crystallized ginger, and I think the pepper gave it a little more depth. I'll be checking in on your Christmas activity!

    Claudia, my other recipe is simular too, the difference seems to be the texture. They are flatter and chewy. Both are good!

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  20. marthaandme, thanks, I think they tasted great, I didn't make too many changes.

    Ann, thanks, I was surprised on how cool the sanding sugar looked when they came out of the oven.

    Rachana, thank you!

    Louanne, I am sure you will like them.

    Susan B, you should they're easy and yummy!

    Jay, sure, I'll make sure to save you one!

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  21. Oh Gosh !!!I cannot believe it tis 's my hubby favorite cookie..he's crazy about..they looks so crispy and tender inside..thanks for sharing Lyndsey..will try this soon.

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  22. Yummy!!! My father and I love ginger/molasses cookies. I've noticed that it really isn't really for everybody, but we LOVE it. And I've never tried Martha's recipe, but will try it (with your fantastic additions) very soon...perhaps before we head out to the farm this weekend for some apple picking! Would go great with some hot chocolate! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  23. kothiyavunu.com - Happy to help :D I hope you get to make them I think he will really like them.

    patty - I must warn you though if you like ginger/molasses cookies, it is difficult to stop eating these! You'll want another, then another....

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  24. Hi Lyndsey, these cookies must taste delicious with all the spices. I have recently baked a a spiced pear cake and it also called for black ground pepper. I thought it was odd, but you could hardly notice as it blends well with the other spices.

    Have a great evening :D

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  25. Martha Mondays sound way cool. I love MS's recipes, they always come out very well for me. These cookies look awesome.
    Have a great weekend.
    *kisses* HH

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