Soft Molasses Cookies (L.A. Times)

Thick, cakey molasses cookies loaded with four warming spices. This L.A. Times recipe delivers that old-fashioned, deeply spiced flavor with a soft center that stays tender for days.

¾ cup of molasses gives these their dark color and that slightly bittersweet, almost smoky depth. Ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves each get a full teaspoon (ginger gets 1 ½), so the spice presence is bold, not shy. The baking soda dissolves in water before going into the batter, which ensures it distributes evenly and reacts with the acidic molasses for a good rise.

The alternating method of adding dry ingredients and the baking soda liquid keeps the batter smooth and prevents overmixing. Drop by rounded tablespoons for chunky, substantial cookies that puff up in the oven rather than spreading flat.

Kitchen Tips

• Use regular (not blackstrap) molasses. Blackstrap is too bitter and will overpower the spices.
• Don’t flatten the dough mounds. These are meant to be puffy and cakey, not thin and crispy.
• They’ll feel soft when you pull them from the oven. That’s right. They firm up as they cool but stay soft inside.

Variations

• Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking for a crackly, sparkly top.
• Add ½ cup of crystallized ginger pieces for intense ginger bites throughout.
• Sandwich two cookies together with cream cheese frosting for a filled molasses cookie.