Molasses Spice Cookies

Enjoy the crunch of walnuts and oatmeal with the flavors of molasses and spices in these holiday favorite cookies. For simple apple molasses cookies with less sugar, you can omit the icing and still serve a delicious treat the whole family will enjoy. Add apple flavoring to make it a special fall treat.
Prep: 40 minutes Chill: 1 hour to 24 hours Shape: 25 minutes Bake: 10 to 11 minutes Bake at: 350°F Spread icing: 20 minutes Yield: 2 dozen cookies Pan: baking sheet Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (see "Tips)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 cup (1 Stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (107 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or apple juice
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • Parchment paper
  • Non-stick cooking spray

Apple Icing

  • 1 cup (112 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or apple juice

Directions

Molasses Spice Cookies are a great snack for all your family and friends. Here’s an easy-to-follow cookie recipe anyone can try.

Making the Cookie Dough

  • Pulse the oats to a mix of chopped and oat flour. Set aside.
  • Finely chop the walnuts and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.
  • In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer at medium speed to cream the butter until whipped, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, gradually add the dark brown and granulated sugars and then beat for about 2 minutes more. Add the molasses, apple juice concentrate, and vanilla extract, and beat to combine. Add the egg and beat until the yolk just disappears.
  • Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 2 parts. Add the oats and stir together. Add the walnuts and stir together. The cookie dough will be stiff.
  • Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour (dough can be made 1 day ahead).

Baking the Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons cookie dough (#50 cookie scoop) and place it on the baking sheet with 3-inches space between dough rounds. If using a tablespoon to scoop, roll the dough into a ball. If using a cookie scoop, place it on the baking sheet with the flat side down.
  • Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with cooking spray to prevent sticking, and then flatten the top of each dough round.
  • Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes at 350°F until lightly browned on the sides but still very soft in the center.
  • Cool the cookies on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Making the Icing

  • Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the milk and thawed apple juice concentrate and stir to combine. If the icing is too stiff to spread, add a very small amount of milk.
  • Spread the icing on completely cooled cookie tops and let set until very hard, about 1 hour.
  • Store the Molasses Spice Cookies in an airtight tin for up to 4 days with layers separated by wax paper. The cookies will keep frozen for up to 3 weeks.

Tips

• You can replace the individual spices with 1 teaspoon apple pie spice.• If you chill the dough for more than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature until it just softens to scooping consistency, about 30 minutes.
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