Rebecca's Molasses Cookies

With high levels of vitamin B6 and 15% of your daily iron requirement in just one tablespoon, molasses is a vegan superfood - so every vegan worth her tofu should have one molasses cookie recipe up her sleeve. The pastry flour in this version helps keep the cookies tender and delicate, since it has a lower gluten content than regular flour. If you can't find it, though, increase the all-purpose flour to 1 and 3/4 cups and use 1/4 cup whole wheat flour.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 and 1/4 cups vegan sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 Ener-G egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• Cooking spray

1. Spoon the applesauce onto several layers of paper towels and spread into a 1/2-inch thick layer. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand for 5 minutes to drain off some of the excess liquid.  Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer using a rubber spatula.

2. Add 1 cup of the sugar and the butter to the bowl; beat at medium speed for a few minutes until blended.  Add the molasses and Ener-G egg and beat well.

3. Lightly spoon both flours into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine the flours in a bowl with the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating after each addition until blended.

4. Cover and freeze the dough for 30 minutes - it should be firm enough to shape into balls.

5. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl.  Divide the dough into 32 portions, rolling into 1-inch balls.  Roll in the sugar and arrange on baking sheets coated with cooking spray, spacing about 3 inches apart so they have room to spread when they bake (because spread they will!).

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.  I recommend serving with a glass of your favorite non-dairy milk.

A couple tips on shaping the cookies: it's easier to use slightly moist hands, to prevent the dough from sticking to your skin. It's also easiest to pull off the portion of dough you need, roll it the sugar, and then shape properly into a ball, because the sugar cuts any remaining stickiness.  My batch on the bottom rack of the oven came out better than a batch on the top rack, so consider baking in separate batches so all the cookies benefit from the highest heat.

Nutrition Info:
32 servings (1 cookie), Calories 88 

Tasting Notes:
These cookies were so thin I expected them to be crisp - but aside from crisp edges, they are melt-in-your mouth tender.  Soft and chewy, so wonderfully spicy, full of deep molasses taste, and a wonderful crunch from the sugar on top.  I have no more to add; pretty much a perfect cookie.

Rating:
5