This is the cookie recipe that I make so often my family calls them simply “Sue’s Cookiesâ€. I’ve been making them ever since I learned to bake. The origin of this recipe is somewhat fogged by the mists of time, but my recollection is that when I was first beginning to learn my way around a kitchen at the age of eleven or so, I found this recipe in the back of a book of paper dolls. Something about the list of ingredients appealed, and I asked my mother for help making them. The rest is history.
These are simplicity itself as far as ingredients go. There are no nuts, no chocolate chips, no jimmies. Two things make them wonderful: the heavenly smell of the spices and molasses while they bake, and the fact that they remain moist and chewy after baking. The only tricky thing about them is timing. They need to be watched closely while baking in order to get that special chewy texture. If your oven door has a window, take them out after the rounded tops show cracks, but before they begin to deflate and flatten down. Take them out too quickly and they’ll be underdone in the centers (yuck). Leave them in too long and they lose the glorious soft bite. When overcooked they become more like typical crispy gingersnaps—nice, but not so special.
Molasses Ginger Cookies
¾ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. light unsulfured molasses
1 c. sugar
1 egg
½ t. ground cloves
½ t. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ t. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
extra sugar for rolling
Beat the first four ingredients together. Stir in the salt and spices, then add flour and baking soda. I usually sift the baking soda to remove any lumps. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour to make the dough easier to work with.
After chilling the dough, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the dough and roll into a series of one-inch balls. Dip the balls in granulated sugar until they are covered, then place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (watching closely). Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for three to five minutes, then remove gently to a wire rack until completely cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 40 cookies.
