Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes! They are spicy and sweet with just the right amount of chewiness.

There's nothing quite like a ginger molasses cookie at Christmas time, but I also find they are fantastic turned into ice cream sandwiches and enjoyed in the summertime too!

What Type of Molasses Is Best for Molasses Cookies?

• Personally, my favorite brand is Grandma's Unsulphured Molasses. It's flavorful and sweet, without any bitterness to it. If you can't find it in your store you can also buy it online. 
• Some molasses varieties will be labeled Sulphured Molasses. This means that sulfur was added to the sugar cane during its production. It can impart a strange aftertaste in the molasses and in fact, can cause allergies in some people so it's best to play it safe and buy unsulphured molasses.
• Stay away from Blackstrap Molasses for this recipe. Blackstrap molasses has a bitter taste and is best for savory recipes. 

A Wonderful Mix of Spices

• The combination of spices in these cookies is what gives them such a wonderful flavor. My favorite combination is ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves. 
• If you don't bake very often the spices in your pantry might need to be refreshed as their flavor can dull over time.
• If it's been over a year since you've purchased them it's best to use newly purchased spices since the flavor will be more pronounced. 

Seek Out The Candied Ginger

• The thing that makes these cookies extra delicious is the candied ginger mixed into the dough. You'll chop it up into small pieces and then it will bake in the cookies. It provides a wonderful zing of sweet ginger flavor that is unexpected but welcomed! 
• Candied ginger is also sometimes labeled as crystallized ginger and you can typically find it in the spice aisle of your supermarket or sometimes in the dried fruit aisle too.
• But if you can't find it there it's also really easy to buy candied ginger online.

Refrigerating the Dough

• You will need to refrigerate the dough for at least 1 ½-2 hours before baking.
• You'll find that most cookie dough recipes that call for molasses will need to be refrigerated first.
• Simply because molasses is so sticky and gooey that it needs to be chilled first, in order to be scooped up and rolled into balls. 

I chill the dough right in the metal mixing bowl of my Kitchen Air Mixer because I find the metal bowl makes the chilling process go even faster. Once the dough is chilled, scoop it out with a 2 ounce--sized ice cream scoop, this will create a generous 3-inch cookie. 

Roll the Dough In Sugar

The sugar will then melt and caramelize into the cookie as it bakes which will give it a sweet crackly finish on top. 

Baking Tips:

• Only bake 6 cookies at a time since they spread out quite a bit.
• Use parchment paper liners on your cookie sheet to prevent the bottoms from burning too much. This will also assure a chewier texture
• Don't overbake the cookies! These cookies do best baked at 350F for just 15-minutes. Once they show their cracks pull them out of the oven. 

Cooling Tips

• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet on your counter or cooktop.
• The residual heat from the cookie sheet will allow the cookie centers to continue to set up, without the risk of being overbaked in the oven.

Watch my Video Demo of This Recipe Below!

 

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Storing The Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Once the ice cream sandwiches are assembled, place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place them in the freezer. They will harden up in the freezer and be easier to stack on a cake stand once it's time to serve. 

Make It an Ice Cream Sandwich Party!

You could actually make an assortment of cookie sandwiches and serve a variety! Some of my favorite combinations are:

• Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ice Cream
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Butter Pecan Ice Cream
• Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Serving Suggestions

• Slice them in half or into quarters! 
• Another benefit of freezing the sandwiches once assembled is the fact that it makes them easier to cut without falling apart.
• This is great for kids or for guests who would like to sample a few different kinds.
• You could also serve with some ice cream sauces for dipping, such as my Hot fudge sauce, peanut butter ice cream sauce, or fresh strawberry ice cream sauce. 

More Great Cookie Recipes

• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pecan Bars with Shortbread Crust
• Holiday Shortbread Cookies
• Easiest Christmas Cookie EVER!

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