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Wholesome Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Molasses Icing

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These soft, pillowy gingerbread cookies are spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and topped with a glossy molasses icing. They come together in about 30 minutes with no chilling required, making them the perfect holiday treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (170 grams) unsulphured molasses
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsulphured molasses
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and packed brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until combined. The mixture may look slightly separated.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed or stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies should look puffed and set around the edges but still soft in the center.
  8. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
  9. While cookies cool, make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons molasses, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add more milk if needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
  10. While cookies are still warm, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops with icing. Let iced cookies cool completely on the rack so the icing sets.

Notes

Do not overmix the dough to keep cookies tender. Ice cookies while still warm for a glossy finish. For best flavor, let cookies sit overnight. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze un-iced cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: soft gingerbread cookies, molasses icing, holiday cookies, drop cookies, gingerbread, Christmas cookies

Find it online: https://willarecipes.com/wholesome-soft-gingerbread-cookies-with-molasses-icing/