Molasses Crinkles

It's crunch time. We're down to the last few days before Christmas. Have you gotten all your shopping done? The presents all wrapped? The Christmas dinner menu planned out? Yes? Good! You want to help me out with mine then?

I realized the other day that we'd gotten almost all the way through the 12 cookies of Christmas and only had 2 cookies, the biscotti and the bourbon molasses cookies, that were filled with molasses and spices. That just won't do. Anything gingerbread-like is my favorite! It's just so Christmasy! So I had to remedy the situation. There can never been too many molasses cookies in my life.

Slightly crunchy on the outside with a sweet sugary coating, but soft and chewy on the inside, they're the quintessential Christmas cookie plate staple.And because there's no butter to cream, you can make them without a mixer. You'll need a bit of elbow grease to fold it all together, but if my little marshmallow arms can do it, yours can too.

So go ahead and whip some up and be sure to stash a couple in your purse to munch on while you're waiting in those impossibly long lines for those last minute gifts. It's hard to be stressed when there's cookies around.

Cookie # 11! Can you believe it? We've almost made it! Click on the pictures to get any of the past recipes you might have missed!

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Molasses Crinkles
From The Baker Chick
Makes about 2 dozen



2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well combined; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil and sugars until well combined. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle flour mixture over sugar mixture, ½ cup at a time, and fold together using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until incorporated.
4. Place ¼ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, roll dough into balls. Toss in sugar to coat completely and place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are set and tops are cracked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.