Browned Butter Ginger Molasses Cookies

Now that Autumn is in full swing, I am in fall baking mode and LOVING it! Autumn is my favorite season, and fall cooking means, more homestyle, stick-to your- rib meals and comforting desserts – Soups, Chili and Stews, and all things pumpkin spice and everything nice! Yes, I am one of those “pumpkin spice people”, and I am not ashamed!

I would venture to say that many people do not realize that pumpkin spice rarely includes pumpkin-truly, pumpkin spice is the blend of spices used to flavor pumpkin dishes and beverages. Typically, pumpkin spice is a mixture of the wonderfully warm notes of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and allspice. Because pumpkin spice is blended with the perfect ratio of each spice, it becomes a versatile ingredient for all sorts of dishes and desserts, alleviating the need to have all of those separate spices on hand!

And, that brings me to today’s recipe, which uses a healthy portion of pumpkin spice, along with fresh ginger, orange zest, molasses and browned butter to make the most flavorful fall cookie that you’re sure to make all year round!

A word on Browned Butter…well, a few words…While you could make these cookies with softened butter, and they would be very good, browned butter takes them over the top with a delectable buttery and nutty flavor that perfectly complements the rich molasses and warm spice notes. Plus, it’s super easy to prepare – simply melt butter in a sauce pan and stir until it turns a light golden brown, then allow it to cool to room temperature before using – you can even make it ahead! I also recommend using Browned Butter in your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, for a nicely subtle yet noticeably unique flavor profile – again, not changing the flavor, but elevating it to the next level!

Ingredients

• 2 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 3 tsp Ground Pumpkin Spice
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Cane Sugar (white sugar can be used as well)
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup Molasses
• 1 tsp Freshly Grated Orange Zest Love
• 2 Lg Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Turbinado or Demerara Cane Sugar (to roll the cookie dough balls in before baking)

Instructions

1. Prepare Browned Butter by melting butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, stir constantly with a whisk as it comes to a low boil. Keep stirring until butter starts to turn a nice golden brown color, then remove from heat. Pour melted butter into a small bowl and allow to cool completely to room temperature (the butter will start to solidify as it cools). You can speed up the cooling process by putting the bowl in the refrigerator if needed. Browned Butter can also be made ahead a day or two (at most), so it’s ready to go, when you need it!
2. In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients: Flour, baking soda, salt, spices and set aside.
3. In a the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter on medium for a minute until light and fluffy. Be sure to get all of the dark browned butter bits that settled to the bottom of the bowl, while the butter cooled – this is where all that fabulous flavor resides!
4. Add both sugars to the butter and beat on medium for 2-3 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
5. Add vanilla, and beat in eggs, one at a time
6. Slowly add molasses and mix until fully incorporated, a minute should do the trick.
7. Mix in orange zest – another secret ingredient that brings a bright citrus note to the party!
8. By rounded tablespoonfuls, add spiced flour mixture (with the mixer on low) until fully incorporated
9. Chill the dough in the fridge a minimum of 1 hour-this will help the flavors develop and the dough to tighten up enough to form the balls.
10. Prepare Baking Sheets with parchment paper
11. Once dough is chilled, roll into doughballs using 2-3 tbs of dough (about the size of a walnut)
12. Roll doughballs in Turbinado or Demerara Cane sugar
13. Freeze doughballs for 1/2 to 1 hour–this is going to help assure you have soft chewy centers – do not skip this step!
14. Preheat oven to 350F
15. Place doughballs on parchment lined sheets 2 inches apart, bake for 12 minutes. Cookies should have flattened out and start to crack on top.
16. Remove from oven, allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

• Makes 24-30 cookies, depending on the size of the doughballs.
• Store in airtight container or freeze (up to 3 months, if they last that long!)
• Doughballs can also be frozen in an airtight container. Simply remove from freezer an hour before baking, and bake as directed.