Description
These Molasses Sugar Butter Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum are rich, chewy, and filled with warm spices. Clarified and browned butter gives them a deep, caramelized flavor and a crisp surface with a soft, chewy interior. Rolled in superfine sugar, these cookies crackle beautifully as they bake, making them a perfect treat for the holidays or any cozy occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter and Wet Ingredients
- 150 grams (10 1/2 tablespoons, 1 stick plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 38 grams (2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon or 3/4 large egg)
- 60 grams (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) light molasses, preferably Grandma’s brand
Dry Ingredients
- 204 grams (1 3/4 cups minus 1 tablespoon, lightly spooned and leveled) bleached all-purpose flour
- 8.2 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) baking soda
- 3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 125 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) superfine sugar (for dough)
- 24 grams (2 tablespoons) superfine sugar (for rolling dough balls)
Instructions
- Clarify and Brown the Butter: Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring often. Increase heat to low and continue boiling, stirring constantly until the milk solids become deep brown. Pour the clarified browned butter into a glass measure, scraping in solids. Cool to room temperature or no higher than 80°F (27°C).
- Measure the Egg: Weigh or measure the egg into a small bowl or measuring cup and cover with plastic wrap.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in a medium bowl.
- Make the Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the browned butter with its solids, superfine sugar, molasses, and egg on low speed for 1 minute.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture slowly, starting at the lowest speed to moisten the flour. Increase to low speed and beat for 30 seconds until combined.
- Chill the Dough: Scrape dough onto plastic wrap, divide in half (about 281 grams each), wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
- Preheat Oven: Place oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Prepare Dough for Shaping: Pour the rolling sugar into a small bowl. Remove one dough half from the refrigerator.
- Shape Dough Balls: Using a 1 1/2-inch diameter cookie scoop, measure 12 pieces (~23 grams each). Roll into 1¼ inch balls with your palms.
- Coat with Sugar: Roll each dough ball in the superfine sugar until well coated. Place them on a cookie sheet at least 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate the pan. Continue baking for 4 to 6 minutes more, until cracks appear on surface but centers still feel soft to fingertip.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 to 5 minutes until firm enough to move, then transfer to a wire rack. The cookies will crisp on the outside but remain chewy inside as they cool.
- Bake Remaining Dough: Repeat shaping, coating, baking, and cooling with the second half of the dough.
- Store Cookies: Store airtight at room temperature for up to 7 days, refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Baking Pearls: Use browned butter cooled to no more than 80°F (27°C) to ensure proper cookie expansion and crack formation. Warmer butter will make cookies flatter and require 2 more minutes of baking.
- Clarify Butter Importance: Clarifying ensures thickness and proper texture. Use high-quality grade AA butter for best results.
- Sugar Notes: Superfine sugar creates a delicate crunch; turbinado sugar can be used for more sparkle.
- Dough Temperature: Refrigerate half the dough while shaping the first batch to maintain uniform size and shape and prevent premature baking soda activation.
- Freezing Dough: Raw dough freezes well but cookies baked from frozen dough may be larger, flatter, and darker.
Notes
- Use grade AA unsalted butter for best butter browning results.
- Brown butter must cool to 80°F (27°C) or cooler before mixing to achieve ideal cookie texture and cracks.
- Superfine sugar produces the best surface crunch; turbinado sugar is an optional alternative.
- Refrigerate dough halves separately to keep dough cold and consistent in baking.
- Dough freezes nicely, but frozen dough cookies bake larger, flatter, and darker.
- Cookies store well airtight at room temperature for 7 days, refrigerated for 2 weeks, and frozen for 3 months.
- Do not substitute melted butter for browned butter to retain proper texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximately 24 grams)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 5.5 grams
- Saturated Fat: 3.3 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 17 grams
- Fiber: 0.5 grams
- Protein: 1.2 grams
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
