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Molasses cookies

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Posted on Sat, 08/25/2012 - 4:56pm
Madeleine
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We got a gift of molasses from a guest so I decided to make cookies. I assume they're supposed to look like a peanut butter cookie (kind of crackled and maybe 1/3" tall). Well, they're flat as can be and totally not set up. I went back over the recipe to figure out what I left out or used too much of. Nothing. It's Martha's recipe from her cookie book and I usually have great luck with all of those.

The dough is supposed to chill for an hour but it never really set up enough to use the cookie scoop. I put the dough back in the fridge for another hour. Nothing doing.

So, any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Or, better still, do you have a recipe that works?

 

 

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This comment (128138) was in reply to the Original Topic on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 12:54pm
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 If you google Dorie Greenspan Molasses Cookies, that's the recipe I use....absolutely fabulous and the black pepper gives them just a little bite.

 

I usually double the cinnamon, but I am a total cinnamon junkie.

This comment (128126) was in reply to the Original Topic on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 7:01am
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 As you're finding out, blackstrap molasses just isn't workable for baking. 

 

Blackstrap is kind of the leftovers in the molasses making process - it's less sweet and very strong.   It's a completely different beast from the regular unsulphured molasses like Grandma's (brand name) that you would normally use for baking.

 

I use it if I'm making something (mostly) sugar free for a brown sugar taste - bulk splenda + 1/2 teaspoon of blackstrap molasses = far better than any brown sugar substitute out there.  I've seen blackstrap used in a lot of recipes where any kind of processed sugar is avoided as well, as it's a lot more nutrient-dense than regular white sugar.

 

This comment (128105) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sun, 08/26/2012 - 9:31am
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Madeleine
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Unsulphered blackstrap is what the label says. Thicker than maple syrup but not as thick as I thought molasses was going to be. Then again, it's not January.

This comment (128120) was in reply to comment 128105 on Sun, 08/26/2012 - 5:53pm
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Generic
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That's odd. Blackstrap should be VERY slow, even when warm. 

Likely you can adjust the recipe by increasing the flour and the baking soda/baking powder a bit. That will compensate for the liquid.

The step of putting the dough in the fridge is important, it gives the flour time to change and absorb the liquid as well as release it's gluten. 

Is the fat in the recipe a liquid fat, or more likely a solid fat, like butter or shortening.

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This comment (128134) was in reply to comment 128120 on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 12:24pm
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Madeleine
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The batter is a lot thicker today (after being in the fridge for 2 days). I threw it out anyway. Probably should have tried it.

This comment (128103) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sun, 08/26/2012 - 9:07am
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What type of molasses did they give you? How fluid is it? 

There are basically 5 different types, most for cooking is either cooking of blackstrap. Cooking is more fluid than blackstrap. If it's more fluid, like maple syrup, it's fancy, which is used like a spread on bread or what we call composed sugar spread around here. The next is lite, which is more like maple syrup. Then cooking, then unsulphered and finally blackstrap.

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