Chewy Molasses Cookies

There's a department pot luck tomorrow, and I wanted to make something that I don't normally make for myself. A batch of cookies is a lot for one girl to go through (at least without feeling sick afterward), so I found a fall-spiced cookie and started baking. I was a little worried when they first went in the oven, since the dough seemed really wet, and I wondered if maybe I hadn't put in enough flour, but they ended up great. Crisp around the edges, but tender and chewy in the center. Don't bake them too long -- they'll seem overly soft right when they come out of the oven, but they'll firm up as they cool. They also spread out a lot while baking, so if you don't want them to end up touching, give them more space than you think you should.

Chewy Molasses Cookies
from Martha Stewart's Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar, plus more for rolling/sprinkling
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp each baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Mix butter and sugars with an electric mixer until well blended. While still mixing, add eggs one at a time, followed by molasses and oil. Mix flour, spices, and salt in a separate bowl, and gradually add to butter mixture. Freeze for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 and cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Form tablespoon-sized balls of dough and either roll in extra sugar, or sprinkle with sugar after placing on the baking pan, spaced 3-4 inches apart. Bake for about 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cookies will be puffy and soft; remove from the parchment after they have flattened and become more solidified.