“Mama Jane” is my best friend from high school’s mom. We spent many afternoons and weekends in the cozy breakfast nook of her kitchen, snacking on her scrumptious cookies or fresh-baked bread.
Now, Mama Jane is a devoted Oaktown Spice Shop customer, even though she still lives in Southern California.
She was tickled that I wanted her recipe. When I wrote her to ask, she said, “I had to laugh! I’ve been making these since I was 12 years old, but they weren’t perfected until I was in my 60’s and started using Oaktown Spice spices!” Thank you, Mama Jane!
These molasses cookies really sing with the addition of our freshly ground cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Thick and chewy with crackled sugary tops, they’re perfect for an after-school snack with cold milk.
Mama Jane’s Crinkle-Top Chewy Molasses Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies
Ingredients:
¾ cup soft shortening or butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
¼ cup molasses (I used Grandma’s Unsulphured Original)
2 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 ½ teaspoons Saigon Cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons Ground Ginger
2-3 tablespoons (or more) Crystallized Ginger (optional)
Turbinado Cane Sugar, “Sugar in the Raw” or any crunchy kind of sugar available for the topping
Directions:
Mix shortening or butter, sugar, egg, and molasses thoroughly. Measure flour, then mix all dry ingredients into flour. Stir everything together. Chill dough for about an hour.
Heat oven to 375. Gently roll chilled dough in 1¼" balls (or whatever size you want! I don’t actually roll the dough into balls but just take “chunks” out).
Dip tops into a bowl of water and then into a bowl of the crunchy sugar. Place sugared side up on baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Bake 10-12 minutes or just until set but not hard. If you leave them on the sheet for a minute or so, they are easier to remove. Cool on baking rack.
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This cake is made with a variety of warming spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. All of these spices create a flavor profile similar to chai, while enhancing the natural sweetness of the carrots, and bringing out the notes of caramel in the brown butter cream cheese frosting.
