These Iced Molasses Cookies are of a bygone era. It’s adapted from a recipe in Nancy Baggett’s All American Cookie Book and the original title was Farmers’ Favorite Molasses Cookies, because the cookies were popular in the rural Midwest. In her book, Nancy describes the cookies as evenly shaped cookies which look like gingersnaps before being iced, but are actually milder, sweeter, fancier and have a chewy rather than crunchy texture. That’s exactly how I’d describe them. They’re pretty good and look nice on a plate.
Iced Molasses Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup butter (unsalted)
1/4 cup light or dark molasses
1 large egg
Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside. Cream the sugar with the butter and shortening. Beat in the molasses, then add egg and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and stir to make a dough.
Chill dough for 1 ½ hours or until ready to bake.
Shape dough into about 50 little balls. Arrange 2 ½ inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets, press tops down slightly.
Bake in upper third (I actually baked mine in the center) of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10-14 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
2 ½ tablespoons light cream or milk plus more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix the sugar and butter together the best you can. Slowly stir in the milk and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, then add more milk little by little until you get a nice drizzling consistency.
Gloria
I made these today from the All American Cookie Book, and wanted to share the recipe on Facebook. But I didn’t want to re-type it. Glad I found you’d done the work for me! They are lovely and delicious. I made them with only butter, not shortening and butter. Very chewy still, but couldn’t cook them longer than 10 minutes. I also didn’t use the icing, because I was too impatient! Still wonderful without it.
Holly
Made these yesterday…divine. Thanks for another great recipe. You’re my “go to” girl!
Jannett
Nice looking cookie…. 🙂
vanillasugar
haven’t made these cookies in decades. would love to try it. and i agree w/ you on the internet….i hate not having it; i get edgy & cranky too.
Jen
My Internet has been down at home since Saturday and won’t be back up til some time next week. I know I’m not really missing anything but it’s driving me slowly insane. I feel really disconnected. Those cookies look really good. I haven’t baked in awhile so those might be made this weekend. (Of course, only if I remember to print out the recipe since I won’t be able to access your website, dang it!)
Melissa
mmm…these look delicious. my dad’s a big fan of the chewier texture so I’ll have to bake a batch for him this weekend.
I know what you mean about the Internet…I feel so out of it when I don’t have instant access!
Sue
Having grown up in Iowa I can attest to the fact that this kind of cookie was very popular there. Yours are prettier than I remember them being.
As to the Internet woes. I hear you. We are so connected these days!
Anna
Louise, thanks for letting me know. I knew I couldn’t get on the Internet at all, but am surprised the whole website wasn’t available. Weird.
Katrina, I think you’ll like the texture but the icing really enhances the cookie. I think they need it.
Katrina
I went on a huge molasses ginger cookie spree over the holidays. I’m looking for a specific one that someone gave us years ago. I’ll have to try these as they are the texture you describe that I’m looking for. (Possibly minus the icing–although, that sounds good, too!)
Louise
I like chewy molasses cookies. Your website went South for a while. I’m not sure how long.
Anna
Kim, yes! My glaze set pretty quickly and I could stack the cookies. I used half & half and a little milk.
Kim
These look yummy! Does the glaze harden so you can stack the cookies for storage?