Farmer's Favorite Molasses Cookies

Name: Farmer's Favorite Molasses Cookies
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 35 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar; 1/2 cup vegetable shortening; 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened; 1/4 cup light or dark molasses; 1 large egg; 2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted (optional topping); 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (optional topping); heavy cream or milk (optional topping), slightly less than 2 1/2 tbsp; 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional topping)

A mildly sweet, chewy, lightly spiced molasses cookie from South Dakota, typically enjoyed with frosting.

2h 35m

Easy

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Ingredients

all-purpose flour 2 cup

baking soda 1 tsp

salt 1/2 tsp

ground cinnamon 1 tsp

ground ginger 1 tsp

ground cloves 1/2 tsp

granulated sugar 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp

vegetable shortening 1/2 cup

unsalted butter, slightly softened 1/4 cup (half stick)

light or dark molasses 1/4 cup

large egg 1

confectioners' sugar, sifted (optional topping) 2 cup

unsalted butter, melted (optional topping) 1 tbsp

heavy cream or milk (optional topping) slightly less than 2 1/2 tbsp

vanilla extract (optional topping) 1 tsp

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside.

Cream the butter

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, shortening, butter, and molasses with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until very smooth and uniform.

Combine the dough

Stir in half of the flour mixture until evenly distributed. Stir in the remaining flour mixture until evenly distributed. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours or overnight.

Preheat and shape

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease several baking sheets or spray them with nonstick spray. Using lightly greased hands, divide the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Lightly press down on the tops of the cookies with your hand.

Bake

Bake one sheet at a time on the upper rack of the oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until the centers are just set and the edges are lightly browned. Rotate the baking sheets front to back halfway through baking for even browning. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies set until slightly firm, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the wire racks with a spatula. Let cool completely.

Make the frosting (optional)

In a medium bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, butter, cream or milk, and vanilla extract until very smooth and uniform. If the frosting is too thick to spread, add a little cream or milk to thin it; if too thin, beat in more confectioners' sugar. Use a table knife to spread a small amount of frosting on the center of each cookie.