Molasses Spice Cookies #Hercules2016

Welcome to an Instructable where you learn to cook some great freakin' cookies.

You won't regret it, trust me.

Shout out to Mr. Gadd for making me do this project because I had a lot of fun eating these cookies (not really baking them, because I suck at baking, even though they turned out really good) and finally learning how to make them after my mom has for so many years.

You will need:

-Large bowl

-Medium bowl

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for dipping (2 1/3 ounces)

-2 1/14 cup all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

-1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

-1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

-1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

-1 large egg yolk

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/2 cup light or dark molasses

First, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees on the middle rack.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the 1/2 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl for dipping.

For this step, you're going to need two bowls, one medium sized, and one slightly larger.

In the larger bowl, add in all of your dry ingredients. This will include the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Gently mix together until thoroughly combined, then set aside.

So for this step, you can use either a hand mixer or a standing mixer. (I used a hand mixer)

Beat the butter with the brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar at a medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Depending on whether you use a hand mixer or a standing mixer, it will become fluffier faster, so it is really up to you to decide when its ready.

Now add the yolk and vanilla at a low speed and beat until it's mixed completely.

Bring the speed back down and add the molasses, then do the final mix until everything is completely mixed in again.

When everything has been mixed together, add in the dry mix.

Be sure to add the mix slowly so that the mixer doesn't cause it to fly up and all around your work space.

Scrape down the bowl once or twice.

Give the dough a final stir by hand to make sure there aren't any flour pockets left at the bottom.

The dough should be soft.

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop a large tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms (make sure your hands are clean) into 1 1/4 inch to 1 1/2 inch balls

Drop ball into shallow bowl of sugar and roll it around until completely covered in sugar.

Set on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Repeat this with the remaining dough.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, reversing the position of the baking sheet from front to back halfway through the baking (about 5 minutes each)

Bake until cookies have browned, are still puffy, and the edges have begun to cook, but the inside still seems raw.

DO NOT OVER-BAKE

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer over to wire rack.

You can then cool cookies to room temperature, or dig right in, because who waits for some delicious cookies to be not so hot if you can shove them in your mouth right away?

Since my English teacher is making a have picture of ourselves somewhere in the Instructable, this iS PROOF MR GADDY

Shout out to my classmates who are gonna be rooood.

Also shout out to my neck deep shirt, they're a pretty amazing band, you guys should all check them out.

(p.s. I had just gotten out of swim practice so my hair is wet, I don't aLwaYs look like a poodle)