Grandpa Jack’s Molasses Cookies: Sentimental Sunday

My Grandpa Jack was quite a character. He loved to stop by to visit, have a meal, and talk a little bit. One of his favorite times to do this was near the holiday season, when the house would fill with the aroma of these sweet Molasses Cookies. The warm spices warm your soul, and they are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee. The taste of these cookies reminds me a bit of Chai tea…so I have a serious affection for them. Grandpa Jack never left without his bucket of cookies this time of year!

These cookies have a wonderfully sweet taste, but the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger really shine through. The crisp outside contrasts with a soft and chewy inside. So wonderful on a cold day!

Print Recipe

Grandpa Jack's Molasses Cookies

This sweet cookies are full of warm spices. The smell of these baking is wonderful throughout your home, and so great with a coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk. This old-fashioned recipe will please young and old alike!

Course

Cookies and Candy

Cuisine

American

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

8-10 minutes

Passive Time

15 minutes

Servings

cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar for the cookie dough
• 1 whole egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar to roll cookies in before baking

Course Cookies and Candy Cuisine American Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 8-10 minutes Passive Time 15 minutes Servings cookies Ingredients 3/4 cup shortening melted and cooled 1/4 cup molasses 2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup sugar for the cookie dough 1 whole egg 2 cups flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup sugar to roll cookies in before baking

Instructions

1. Add Shortening, Sugar, Molasses, and egg into mixing bowl. Beat well until incorporated.

   
2. Next, add flour, 1 cup sugar, spices and salt. Mix well. Doug will be thick. Mix with hands if needed. Place in refrigerator to chill 15 minutes.

   
3. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in remaining sugar. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in hot (375 degree) oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies are done when they just begin to brown on the bottom. Overbaking will yield a tough cookie with no chewy middle.

   

Recipe Notes

It is very important to not overbake these cookies. The joy in them is the crisp outside with the chewy center, so you will want to remove them from the oven when the bottom JUST begin to brown.

Share this Recipe

I hope you enjoy these cookies with your own family. If you serve them to older relatives, or bring them as a gift at a home for the elderly, you will hear rave reviews as they may remember these cookies as well!