The Most Mouth-Watering Cookies Ever

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies
Martha Stewart
101 calories per serving · 36 servings
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately eight minutes.


2 cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Salt
1 ½ cups Sugar
¾ cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
1 Large Egg
¼ cup Molasses

         

         

         

         

         My mouth is watering as I type this ode to my favourite cookie, the molasses spice cookie, a delectable morsel that out-tastes mere gingerbread. Many years ago, this recipe fell into my lap at a time when I sought something new to satisfy my sweet tooth. I yearned for a new and different Christmas cookie. Could there be more to seasonal treats than chocolate?

         Truth be told, I do like almost any variety of cookie, but this one wooed my taste buds and hey, if Martha Stewart herself thought to bestow upon them her seal of approval, then who was I to doubt her considerable culinary acumen? When I learned that the foremost cookie aficionados Santa and Mrs. Claus loved these delicious delicacies too, I knew I'd discovered my new favourite. This revered couple know their cookies.

         How could a concoction born of butter, sugar, molasses and spices be anything but sublime? If I were to even admit that calories do exist and cause garment shrinkage, those born of this divine treat are negligible, surely.

         Yes, molasses is a sticky, thick, brown syrup produced by the sugar-making process and yes, sigh, I will admit that it's make-up could encourage a wee bit of waist-thickening. If weight gain does occur, it is gradual. Sugar beguiles us. It tempts and teases. How could a substance that tastes so sweet sugarcoat its effects? I researched the nutritional composition of molasses and it does provide select minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. Granted all of these may be found in a slice of liver, yet molasses magic is a more appealing delivery system. Healthy compounds contained in a cookie are still preferable. Didn't the great Mary Poppins herself sing about the benefits of sugar?

         To my dismay, several people suffered at the hands of molasses before it ever converted itself into a treat. Back in January of 1919 at the Purity Distillery Company a vat of molasses exploded resulting in The Great Molasses Flood of Boston. Yikes! Molten molasses mayhem!

         Until the 1800s, molasses was considered the most popular and cheapest sweetener, but nowadays it costs almost twice as much as refined sugar. Some unsung genius, a chemical cookie connoisseur, realized the potential of this gooey substance in the late 1800s. I owe them my thanks.

         Since willpower is a fleeting ideal when I bake molasses spice cookies, I relegate their creation to the Christmas season. At that time and only that time, I indulge. It's a once-in-a-year treat that I anticipate along with the fun of decorating the Christmas tree. If I combine these two special activities, I pre-burn any possible calories. Mmmmm, I do love these soft and chewy cookies!

         https://sprinklesofhistory.com/molasses-cookies/

         https://www.thespruceeats.com/history-of-molasses-1807630

         www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/Molasses-Cookies