Ultimate Drop Blackstrap Molasses Cookies

Soft molasses cookies have been my husband's favorite sweet treat for many years. Both his mother and my mother make amazing versions that are super similar. They often pass a dozen or so his way. {He devours them in less than a day.} I sometimes refer to this as his "molasses cookie fix." After twenty-plus years of he and I being together, I figured it was time for me to step up and attempt to master the recipe.

These cookies - truth be told - are one of my favorites, as well. {I just rarely get any when he is gifted them.} They are deep and rich in flavor. Almost magically, they manage to be both ultra moist {almost brownie-like in texture - especially when warm} on the inside while presenting a bumpy, slightly crisp exterior {especially fresh from the oven}. Utilizing blackstrap molasses yields such a deeply developed molasses flavor here. And, the inclusion of cold, strong coffee contributes to the moistness of the batter and helps boost the already-exuberant molasses flavor.

These do freeze well, too. And, they thaw super quickly. So they are a wonderful treat to have on hand for when company stops by or when you may need some goodies on the fly.

Yields 5 dozen cookies.


Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar {plus more for sprinkling atop cookies}
1 cup shortening
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup cold, strong coffee
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together sugar, shortening, egg and molasses using an electric mixer.

Add salt, ginger, cinnamon, coffee, baking soda and flour.

Begin mixing on low speed until flour is mostly incorporated. Increase speed to high. Mix until smooth.

Drop dough by spoonful onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet - twelve to a tray. Sprinkle tops with a little sugar. Bake on middle rack for 10 - 11 minutes. Cookies should still be soft and just slightly appearing underdone in the center upon removal from oven. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for three minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Repeat process until all dough is used. Once fully cooled, store cookies in an airtight container.