It was by pure chance that I came across a jar of St Aubin 1819 molasses at Le Bois Cheri restaurant boutique during an impromptu visit. This viscous syrup used to be readily available from sugar cane factories as a byproduct of the sugar industry. Richly endowed with vitamins and minerals due to its unrefined nature, molasses make a wonderful addition to homemade cookies. These lovely sugar-coated cookies studded with dried cranberries, from In Katrina’s Kitchen, perfectly bring out the pungent bittersweet note of natural molasses, making them deliciously soft and chewy. And that’s only a prelude to my Christmas baking…

CRANBERRY MOLASSES COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Celsius. In a bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together.

  • Scrape bowl prior to each new addition. Add molasses and egg and beat again. Mixture may be lumpy.

  • Add baking soda, spices and flour. Mix until smooth. Add cranberries and mix with a wooden spoon.

  • Form 1 inch balls. Roll them in sugar and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  • Space the cookies 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes until they turn golden but still soft to touch.

  • Let cookies rest for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Makes roughly 3 dozen cookies.

Cranberry & Molasses