Molasses Cookies

It's holiday baking time! These favorites in my house are actually not one of my traditional treats during this season. They do, however, have that great warm, spicy taste and fragrance that begs to be added to your seasonal baking list so I'm including them here. They are easy. And amazingly delicious. Perfectly soft and chewy on the inside with just a little crispy on the outside, mostly on the bottom.

I adapted this recipe to be gluten-free from Better Homes and Gardens' "Our Best Recipes" cookbook. I don't think you'll be disappointed in how this gluten-free version has turned out. My family and friends love them, and I hope you will to.

Projected prep time: 10 min.; Projected bake time: 10 min. per sheet
2 1/4 c. Pamela's Bread Mix & Flour Blend (not the Baking Mix)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. gluten-free, aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp. salted butter, softened (note: If you only have unsalted you can add a dash of salt to 3/4 c. of it)
1 c. organic sugar (see note below)
1 large egg
1/4 c. molasses
small custard-cup size bowl half-filled with organic sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you use a gas oven like I do, you'll probably want to bake these on the top rack. In medium bowl combine flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves.

Beat butter to soften at medium speed and gradually add 1 cup sugar at low speed until fluffy.

Add egg and molasses, beat well and scrape bowl occasionally.

Stir or beat flour mixture into butter mixture gradually, scrape bowl a few times to ensure it's all mixed.

Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls, roll in sugar. Place 2 1/2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 10 minutes until light brown but still puffy. You want them to still be puffy when you pull them out. Let stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer to rack to cool.

(*Note on the sugar: If you don't have organic sugar -- not the turbinado but the light brown, finer organic sugar -- you can use dark brown sugar in bottom fourth of measuring cup and add regular granulated white sugar on top BUT it won't have quite the same texture. Also, the organic sugar is best for rolling because it's a little more coarse. In this photo, I had run out of my organic sugar for the rolling so I used white sugar to roll them in. It's really not the same.)

Enjoy!! :)