Bourbon Molasses Cookies

Winter has settled in nicely around these parts. And by these parts I mean inside my house. While not quite the brisk 27 degrees it is outside my door, I’m about a day or two away from snowfall right in my kitchen.

I came home yesterday, after a day long excursion as one of the many Thanksgiving grocery shoppers, to find my heat had gone out in my apartment. I normally keep my apartment pretty cool, but it was downright chilly at 55 degrees by the time I woke up this morning. After spending the night curled up in my sleeping bag, it took every ounce of will I had to crawl out of bed.

The one thing that got me up (besides the idea of hot coffee) was the thought of baking cookies. Warm, spiced molasses cookies with a touch of bourbon—they’re the perfect cookie for a cold, cold day. And standing in front of the hot oven warming my hands didn’t hurt either.

I’m normally one to skip the chilling overnight step for cookie dough, (I’m just too impatient to wait that long) but I think it’s essential for these. Letting the dough hang out together allows the bourbon and spices to work their way into every part of the dough, giving it a big, full flavor.

We've made it a third of the way through our 12 Cookies of Christmas! But there's still 8 more cookies to go so be sure to stop back so you don't miss a thing!

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Bourbon Molasses Cookies
Adapted from Une Gamine Dans La Cuisine
Makes about 24 2-inch cookies



2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon (dark or spiced rum also works well)
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add molasses and bourbon, beating until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 8 hours, up to overnight.
3. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about an hour. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Place ¼ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl.
4. When dough has come to room temperature, using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablesppon, roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls. Turn in granulated sugar to coat and place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Flatten the dough slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are lightly golden and tops starting to crack, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.