Ingredients:

  • 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • ¾ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 cup, packed Dark Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup Dark/Robust Molasses
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Granulated Sugar (for rolling)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg until just combined. Then, slowly add the molasses and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
  5. Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  6. Chill the Dough (Crucial): Cover the dough bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 60 minutes. This chilling prevents spreading and locks in the flavor.
  7. Portion and Roll: Place the ½ cup of rolling sugar in a shallow bowl. Use a cookie scoop (approx. 1.5 tablespoons) to portion the chilled dough into balls. Roll each ball firmly between your palms until smooth.
  8. Coat: Roll the dough balls generously in the granulated sugar until completely coated.
  9. Bake: Place the sugar-coated balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) between them. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
  10. Check for Doneness: The cookies are done when the edges are set and starting to look golden, and the centres are still slightly puffy and soft with visible cracks. They will look slightly underdone in the middle—this is the secret to chewiness.
  11. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.