These molasses spice cookies are a favorite here. They’re also very popular with almost everyone else I’ve let have them. One of my old coworkers is pretty much obsessed with them. I made her a batch because she helped us move. Somehow or another, she made the batch of cookies last for more than a week. She loves them so much that she didn’t want her supply to run out.

Just last night, we were visiting some of the boyfriend’s family and the first thing his uncle asked was “Did you bring any of those cookies?” He tried some at Christmas and found out that 2 of his children had some last week. I must remember to bring him some the next time we visit. If I don’t, I might not be welcome back.

The recipe for these cookies is from Baking Illustrated and I really didn’t change a thing. They’re spicy but not too spicy. They’re chewy and gingery and wonderful. While I do like regular crunchy gingersnaps, I much prefer this chewy version.

The only thing you need to be careful of with these cookies is that you don’t overbake them. They should still look a little raw in the cracks that form while they bake. If you’re in doubt, take them out. They’re way better underbaked than they are overbaked. Trust me on this…I learned it the hard way. The hard, dry cookie way.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Recipe from Baking Illustrated

Preparation time: 30 minutes. Makes 18 large cookies.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper (or grease lightly).
2. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Using a mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Add the brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed.
5. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
6. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
7. Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.
8. Bake until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks .

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.

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I found the recipe for this Spicy Hot Chicken Soup in the latest issue of the Penzey’s Spices catalog.

I can honestly say that I don’t like plain chicken noodle soup. In fact, I’m not sure that I’ve voluntarily eaten plain chicken noodle soup in my adult life. It’s bland and boring and I don’t want to eat it. Not even if I’m sick.

That being said, I immediately wanted this soup when I saw it in the catalog. If it were plain chicken noodle soup, I would have turned the page…but the addition of ginger, cayenne pepper and green onions to chicken noodle soup made me stop and salivate.

If you’re in the mood for chicken soup with a kick, make this. Just keep the Kleenex on the table as your nose is probably going to start dripping.

I’m not going to add the recipe to this page as it can be found here on the Penzey’s website.

I did make a few changes to the recipe:

• Their recipe calls for just powdered ginger. I used a bit of powdered ginger and a good 1 1/2 or 2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh ginger. I like ginger.
• The recipe calls for cayenne pepper. I didn’t have any so I substituted ground ancho pepper powder, a dash of chili powder and a dash of Spanish sweet smoked paprika. I decided that it wasn’t quite spicy enough so I threw in a good teaspoon or so of Sriracha.
• Penzey’s used egg noodles. I don’t particularly like them and they warned to keep them separate from the soup (as they get really soggy if kept in the soup) for leftovers. That’s kind of a pain so I used orzo instead. I’ve made lots of soup with orzo and it doesn’t get soggy like a lot of other pasta does. I used about 3/4 of a cup of it and cooked the soup for about 20 minutes after adding it.
• I used regular chicken broth instead of the “Chicken Soup Base” the recipe prescribes. I used 6 cups of broth and 2 cups of water.
• It’s not mentioned in the recipe, but you’ll want to add some salt and pepper.

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