Grandma Rena’s Molasses Cookies

My Great-Aunt Evy passed away this week. Like many of the older women in my family, she was a kind, loving, smart, and spunky lady. I didn’t see her often, but whenever I did she was quick to give me a smile and a hug, and always made me feel so loved. She will definitely be missed. Learning of her death made me think of all of the other great ladies I’ve been lucky enough to have in my life, including my Great-Grandma Rena. I don’t remember much of Grandma Rena, since I was young when she died, but I do remember one thing vividly – sitting at her kitchen table eating delicious treats. These are her famous (in my family anyway) Molasses Cookies.

These cookies are soft and chewy, with that perfectly cracked top that I’m always looking for in a molasses cookie. And they have just the right amount of the warm spices – ginger, cinnamon, and cloves – that make me think of crisp fall days. They are the ultimate molasses cookie.

Grandma-approved

As you can see in the photo above, my Grandma clipped this recipe from a newspaper, though I’m not sure which one. I love her note on the side – “Ex. [excellent] – top crack very nice”. Grandma-approved cookies are the best cookies. (For another Grandma-approved cookie, see my Sour Cream Sugar Cookies post).

The recipe was perfect as is, but I did make one small change, opting for butter instead of shortening – I just like the flavor better. To make that change and still end up with the same great cookie, I added just a tad more butter (butter has some water in it, whereas shortening is all fat). Feel free to use shortening though if you prefer.

These cookies are great out of the oven, but even better the next day. They’re still nice and soft, with a bit of chewiness, and the flavor of the spices really pops. They’ll keep for at least 5 days, and freeze wonderfully too. Also, if you bake them a bit longer till they’re crispy, they make a FANTASTIC cookie crumb crust (cheesecake anyone?). So in addition to being delicious, these cookies are versatile. I’d expect nothing less from my Great-Grandma Rena.

So cheers to Grandma-approved cookies, and to spunky ladies everywhere. I hope these cookies bring you as much joy and happy memories as they do for me.

Happy Baking!

Print Recipe

Grandma Rena’s Molasses Cookies

Old-fashioned soft molasses cookies. Just like Grandma used to make.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time32 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Ginger Cookies, Molasses Cookies, Soft Molasses Cookies

Servings: 27 cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 c + 1.5 T softened butter*
• 1 c sugar
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 4 T molasses
• 2 c flour (generous cups)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c boiling water
• 2 tsp baking soda
• sugar for rolling

Instructions

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar, mixing until well combined and fluffy.
• Add egg and molasses and mix until combined.
• Add flour mixture, and mix until combined.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Add to the cookie dough and mix well.
• Dough will be sticky. If it seems too sticky to make into balls, refrigerate for 30 minutes before proceeding.
• Using a medium cookie scoop or your hands, make walnut-sized balls of dough. Roll in sugar. Place 1-2" apart on cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until browned nicely but still soft and a little doughy in the middle. (If you prefer crispy cookies, bake a little longer)
• Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies will be good for at least 5 days (and will taste better the second day!).

Notes

*My Great-Grandma’s original recipe called for shortening. I prefer butter, but feel free to sub shortening if you like. You’ll want to use just 3/4c shortening.