Molasses Cookies Recipe (With Dates) (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Molasses is a thick, goopy ingredient, so it wasn't a surprise that my dough came out on the stickier end of the texture spectrum when I used too much molasses.

Medium Or Dark Molasses

“This is ultimately my first choice of molasses,” Bourdon said. “It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.”

First, if the dough is too wet, the cracks won't appear because the cracks occur as the surface of the dough dries out. Make sure to measure all the ingredients accurately. The other possible reason for no cracking is if the dough is too warm. You want the dough to be chilled when it goes into the oven to bake.

Also, because people make molasses in a process called fermentation, it can cause digestive problems. Consuming large amounts may cause loose stools or diarrhea. People with irritable bowel syndrome or other forms of digestive discomfort may want to avoid this syrup.

Potential Risks of Blackstrap Molasses

Although lower in sugar and higher in nutrients than some sweeteners, blackstrap molasses can still raise your blood sugar. It should be used in moderation, especially for people with diabetes.

Bake soft molasses cookies on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. It's very important to not over bake the cookies or they will be hard and dry instead of soft and chewy. To check for doneness, open oven and gently push the side of a cookie with your finger or utensil.

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

Avoid blackstrap molasses–it's too strong for this recipe and will make the cookies bitter.

The most commonly sold molasses is light molasses, which comes from the first boiling of the sugar syrup and is more delicate in flavor and color. It's the tamest flavor and works well to boost other supporting ingredients instead of being intense and overpowering.

Can I skip molasses in cookies? ›

Molasses makes these cookies from Dorie Greenspan delightfully chewy, so you'll want to replace it with another liquid sweetener who could accomplish a similar feat. Try honey or sorghum, a combo of dark corn syrup and brown sugar, or a combo of dark corn syrup and maple syrup.

Chill the dough.

I know — the extra chilling time is substantial, and very tempting to skip. But this particular dough, with all of its butter and molasses, really does need a thorough chilling to prevent the cookies from spreading.

Chilling the cookie dough will prevent the cookies from spreading and it will make them chewier and more flavorful. I recommend chilling for at least one hour, but you can chill the dough for up to 48 hours. You can chill all of the dough in a disk or you can go ahead and roll out the dough balls and chill.

The kind of molasses you use matters. Sulphered and black strap molasses are very bitter and more often used in savory recipes. I recommend dark or light unsulphered molasses for baking. It is also easiest to find in a grocery store.

Homemade cookie dough should be stored in small containers in the refrigerator for two to four days or freeze for two months. Alternatively, small quantities of dough can be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator as needed.

Naturally acidic molasses may require the addition of baking soda to counteract it in some baked goods.

Molasses serve several purposes in baked goods such as: Sweetening: contributing to sweetness, although with lower intensity than sucrose. Its sweetness decreases as color darkens. Flavor: providing a broad and complex range of flavors, from caramel to bitter notes.

OVEN IS TOO HOT

If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.