Molasses Moon Cookies Recipe

Our pastry assistant, Kelly, has prepared a Rideau Hall kitchen treat.

Ingredients

Yield:  approximately 2 dozen cookies

  • Unsalted butter, room temperature    ¾ cup
  • Brown sugar    ½ cup
  • White sugar    ¼ cup
  • Molasses    ¼ cup
  • Large eggs, room temperature    1
  • Vanilla extract    1 tsp
  • All-purpose flour    2 ¼ cups
  • Baking soda    1 ½ tsp
  • Salt    pinch
  • Ground ginger    2 tsp
  • Ground cinnamon    1 tsp
  • Ground clove    ¼ tsp
  • Ground nutmeg    ¼ tsp
  • Extra white sugar for rolling    1 cup


Method

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt; set aside.
  • Cream butter with white and brown sugar in a bowl using a rubber spatula (or use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on speed 1). Mix until homogenous.
  • Whisk together egg and vanilla.  Stir the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture along with the molasses and mix until combined. Add in the sifted dry ingredients; mix until a smooth dough is formed.
  • Scoop into even portions (about 1 ½ to 2 Tbsp in size). Put the extra white sugar for rolling into a small bowl.
  • Roll your cookie scoops into balls, roll in the white sugar to coat and then place on a parchment lined cookie tray; flatten each cookie ball slightly into a disk shape, leaving enough room between each cookie for them to spread somewhat as they bake.
  • Place cookie tray on the middle rack of your pre-heated oven and bake until cookies are a medium golden brown and cracked in the middle, approximately 7 to 14 minutes; check cookies halfway through baking and turn the tray front to back to ensure even browning of cookies. Bake one tray at a time for even baking.
  • Remove cookies from the baking tray and cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy immediately or, once cool, store in an air tight container for up to 4 days.