• Make-Ahead
• Staff Favorite

Ingredients

1. 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
3. 2 tablespoons ground ginger
4. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7. 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
8. 2 cups unsulfured molasses
9. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
11. 1 cup turbinado sugar, for rolling 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 7 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt and pepper. 
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the molasses and granulated sugar and beat until pale, about 3 minutes. Add the egg. At low speed, beat in the flour mixture. Chill the dough in the freezer just until firm. 
3. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-size mounds and roll into balls, then roll in the turbinado sugar. Set the molasses cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 1 sheet in the upper third of the oven and 1 sheet in the lower third for 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are cracked and the centers are just set; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Make Ahead

The cookies can be stored between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

Notes

Before measuring molasses, lightly spray or rub a measuring cup with vegetable oil; the sticky molasses will slide out of the cup easily.

This recipe makes rather large cookies. If you prefer a smaller size, simply roll the dough into 1-tablespoon size balls and set them 11/2 inches apart on the baking sheet.