Old-Fashioned Crinkled Molasses Spice Cookies

1. Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, placing the oven rack in the middle position. While the oven heats up, get a shallow dish and pour in ½ cup of granulated sugar, setting it aside for later.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper, and salt. This ensures all the spices are evenly distributed throughout the dough, giving each cookie a balanced flavor.

3. Cream Butter and Sugars

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and ⅓ cup of granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add Wet Ingredients

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing for about 20 seconds each to ensure they are fully incorporated. Finally, pour in the molasses and mix for another 20 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is smoothly combined.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until no pockets of flour remain. This should take about 30 seconds.

6. Shape and Coat Dough

Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll it into balls with your hands. Roll each ball in the reserved granulated sugar from the shallow dish, ensuring they are well-coated. Place the sugar-coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

7. Bake Cookies

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. You'll know they're done when the cookies are browned and puffy, with the edges set but the centers still soft.

8. Cool Cookies

Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these delightful, aromatic cookies with a warm beverage, or share them with friends and family for a cozy treat.