Molasses cookies

We started to make this recipe in 2009, and they’ve become a regular. The recipe is from Sofra Bakery & Cafe, when it was published in the Improper Bostonion (I think)…thank you Ana Sortun! Some of the directions were a little confusing as written, such as “chill dough until it reaches room temperature, about 2 hours”. Huh? We decided to chill the dough in the refrigerator…and let it chill while we worked on a different batch of cookies.

Delicious molasses cookies

Molasses cookies
Source: Sofra Bakery & Cafe
Makes: about 4 dozen

Ingredients
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup sugar, plus additional sugar for cookies
1 large egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
3. Combine oil, molasses, sugar, and egg in bowl of a stand mixer. Paddle on medium speed until smooth. Be careful not to incorporate too much air. Mix 15-20 seconds (or vigorously by hand).
4. Add dry ingredients and mix until well-combined, about 20 seconds. Chill dough in refrigerator, about 2 hours. If preparing dough in advance, freeze it so the oil doesn’t separate.
5. Roll dough into about 1-inch balls and coat with sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and gently press cookie until slightly flattened. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cookes will appear underdone.