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Molasses Crinkles cookies are scrumptious: soft, and chewy on the inside, packed with sweet, spicy gingery flavor, with a bit of a crunch on the outside. Not to mention, they are absolutely addictive. And SUPER easy to make. When you’ve made a cookie several times a year since 2002, you know you have a winner! This cookie recipe is a family favorite.
Good Morning America Cookie Contest Winner
This time, unlike other posts of mine you may have read, *I* was not the entrant in the cookie contest.
I stumbled across this recipe in 2002, when my kids were grade school aged, which is the ideal time to bake cookies with kids to teach them about cooking. Good Morning America hosted a “Christmas cookie contest”, and assigned Emeril Lagasse as the chef to choose the best recipe. I adore Emeril, and… BAM! He chose this flavorful, super simple, whip-them-up-in-just-a-few-minutes recipe.
And giving credit, where credit is due, the actual winner of the Good Morning America Christmas contest for her delicious cookie recipe, was a lady named Elisa Leverton. She called her cookie recipe “Crinkle Top Cookies”. But my Mom made a similar cookie, and we called hers molasses crinkles. So that’s the name I’m going with.
The only change I made from Elisa Leverton’s recipe was to omit the raisins. So….if you’re a raisin lover, be sure to add about a cup of raisins to the cookie dough.
Not Just A Christmas Cookie
Cookies made with ginger are very often served in the fall, and especially at Christmas. While you can make these for the holidays, this cookie is yummy enough, and easy enough, to make any season of the year. And we do! In high school, when my daughter was craving sweets, this was her go-to recipe, no matter what time of year.
Making the Molasses Crinkles: A Few Images
The Recipe for Molasses Crinkles
Molasses Crinkles: an Award Winning Cookie
Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and packed with sweet and spicy gingery flavor, these cookies are a cinch to make!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 4 tablespoons dark molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 level teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream together shortening, sugar, and egg until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix.
- Form dough into walnut-sized balls with a medium sized cookie scoop and then roll the balls in granulated sugar before placing them on an un-greased cookie sheet.
- Allow room for the cookie to spread. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to over bake. If you over bake them, they will not be chewy.
Notes
The cookies you see pictured in this post were rolled in Turbinado sugar, which is a cane sugar that is darker, with grains that are larger, and more coarse. I used Turbinado sugar, because I ran out of white sugar. It worked fine, and added more crunch, but I think I prefer coating them in regular white sugar.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 231mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
Cookies I Have Loved
Each one a winner! You've got to try making at LEAST one of these!!!
Kitty Krap Cookies are Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies, for when I need something sweet, and I need it NOW! DELICIOUS!
Gina Stevens
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
Susan, I just made the Molasses Crinkles and they're great! People who critique recipes after they substituted ingredients annoy me, but I did just that! I was out of ginger, so I used cinnamon instead. This is a keeper. Next time, I'll double the recipe AND follow the directions. Thanks!
Susan Williams
Saturday 13th of March 2021
Brilliant substitution, Gina! I think you'll enjoy them with ginger, too!