Chewy Cardamom Molasses Cookies

A classic Chewy Molasses Cookie with hints of cardamom create a warm and comforting cookie. These molasses cookies have a different flavor profile than your traditional ginger. With warm spices of cardamom, anise and allspice they will be a new favorite on your cookie platter.

Leaves changing, air turning crisp and cool, darker mornings and evenings - all are a tell tale sign of the changing season. Fall is one of the most magical times of year and also gets our creative juices flowing for the holidays. I'm beyond thrilled to partner with my friends at Crate and Barrel to showcase these simple and delicious Cardamom Molasses cookies with warm, cozy spices. A play on traditional Ginger Molasses cookies that evoke a slightly different flavor profile with cardamom, anise and allspice - flavors that you'd find in many Middle Eastern desserts. I'll also be sharing tips and tricks on hosting your own Virtual Cookie Party this year!

Virtual Cookie Party

This year has been anything but normal. There have been many twists, turns and disruptions to our everyday life. As the holidays approach, some creative thinking will definitely come into play. A huge tradition many folks share is a Cookie Exchange. A day when everyone bakes their favorite cookie, shares the recipe and swaps with friends to create the ultimate assorted cookie platter. Just like many things in 2020, let's take this idea and go virtual! Yes, a Virtual Cookie Party! A wonderful way to showcase and share your favorite cookies and get new cookie ideas from friends to bake this holiday season.

There are many different ways to organize such an event, whether you want to keep it small and intimate or go big and share with the world! Let's dive into some fun ways to make this party happen.

Recipe Card

Before we start planning the big virtual party, getting our recipe is most important. Whether you are making a simple Chocolate Chip Cookie, something more traditional to your culture, like these Ma'amoul cookies, or even a Vegan Cookie - recording the recipe is the first step. I've linked a downloadable page for you print off and write out your recipe.

Virtual Party Ideas

Zoom and Google Meet have become the link to all our worlds these days. From school sessions, work sessions to virtual happy hour and dinner parties. This first virtual cookie party idea is for you and your close friends and the second boasts more of a larger social sharing idea.

Virtual Party 1:

1. Organize your party list, usually 8-10 people is a great number that is manageable.
2. Send out an invitation including:
   • Date and time to connect via video call
   • Link to recipe card for everyone to download and fill out
3. At this time, the host will collect all the recipes and shuffle to distribute to all attendees. As the host, keep a little spreadsheet with your attendee names, their recipe and the recipe they are assigned to make.
4. Give everyone ample time to create and on party day, gather together online - enjoy cookies together and share all the wonderful recipes you created. Chat about recipes, hints or tips to making them and what you liked about the recipe you baked.
5. You can upload all the recipe cards to Google Drive or your favorite document organizer to share.

Virtual Party 2:

Social media has become the hub for so much inspiration, whether you're browsing Instagram, Pinterest or even your Facebook. It's also a place to connect with close friends and friends that you have only met online. For the past few years, I've hosted #VirtualCookieParty2018 and #VirtualCookieParty2019 on Instagram. A time where dozens of bloggers have shared their favorite cookie recipe on one designated day. The result? A hashtag full of mesmerizing cookies with links to choose your favorite this holiday season. So let's create your own social party!

1. Find your tribe, it can be another small and intimate group or send it out to your entire social media following. The more the merrier on this one!
2. Create a hashtag that will work for your party, over the years I have used #VirtualCookieParty with the year attached for mine - perhaps you want #BethsCookieParty. The hashtag is key to going back to find all the recipes. You also want a tag that doesn't already have hundreds/thousands of items linked (ie: #cookies)
3. Send out an email or message to your friends/followers with the following information:
   • Date that everyone will post their cookie creations.
   • Official hashtag to be used so all the cookies are linked.
   • Ask they to tag you so you don't miss a cookie post that day!
4. I always like to send out little reminders for folks, I have even linked a spreadsheet before where folks can list their cookie ideas ahead of time. It gives everyone a chance to be creative.
5. The day of your party, you'll be flooded with recipes - folks can either use the recipe card and post along with their photo or type it out in their comments.

Ingredients

Now that you have your plan to host an epic Virtual Cookie Party, let's start baking. Of course I would be beyond honored if you included these Cardamom Molasses cookies in your exchange. They are soft with crisp edges, a heavy aroma of cardamom and warm notes that go perfect with a cup of coffee, tea or milk. Here is a breakdown of what you'll need:

• Butter - Every good cookie starts with butter. Be sure your butter is softened, not melted. The best way to ensure soft butter is planning ahead and leave out on your counter the night before you want to bake. Otherwise, quick 5 second intervals in the microwave will do it - just keep checking. I use unsalted butter but if you choose to use salted, just omit the salt in the recipe.
• Sugars - These cookies use a blend of both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar helps to keep the cookies soft and tender while the granulated sugar gives them some structure and crisp edges.
• Date Molasses - Date molasses is exactly what it sounds like, molasses that comes from dates. It is a very common ingredient in Lebanese desserts. Dibis in Arabic means molasses. Dates or grapes syrup is simply known as dibis in the Middle East as they are the original syrups available since ancient times. It's a lovely twist to this recipe which would normally call for traditional Blackstrap Molasses. Date Molasses is slightly sweeter than traditional molasses but lends itself the same earthy flavor to these cookies. If you can't find Date Molasses, you can certainly sub with traditional molasses.
• Flour - All-purpose flour is our choice for these cookies, you could easily sub ½ for whole wheat if you choose.
• Spices - With such a simple cookie, spices really make a difference. In this cookie I decided to play off a traditional ginger molasses cookie with more ethnic flavors: cardamom, anise and allspice. Instead of a sharp gingery flavor, you'll have a warm earthy cookie with heavy scents of cardamom.
• Egg + Baking Soda +Salt + Vanilla

Baking Cookies

Baking is a science and we want to make sure we have all the elements in place to ensure the perfect bake. Equipment, mixing process, temperature and steps to bake are all so crucial.

Equipment

Having the proper equipment to bake your cookies is so important. Here are some of my favorite tools to get the ultimate cookies. Crate and Barrel carries the best products including these beauties.

1. I absolutely ADORE my KitchenAid Mixer, especially in this gorgeous steel blue. It makes mixing cookies a breeze! 325 watts and 10 speeds makes is super easy to cream butter and slowly mix flour. Find it at Crate and Barrel.
2. Cookie sheets are so important to getting the right texture and bake. I prefer to bake one tray at a time to get the most even baking. I also have started using these All-Clad Pro-Release
3. Cookie Sheets. The heavy-gauge aluminum steel promotes even baking and browning and the ceramic-reinforced non-stick finish is amazing for cookie release.
4. Finally, my trusted cookie scoop! It makes scooping cookies simple and gives them that uniform shape.

Mixing the Dough

1. Ensuring you have room temperature butter and eggs is key - it will help the creaming process immensely.
2. Begin by creaming your butter sugars and date molasses. Allowing these to cream together for 3-4 minutes until the mixture lightens in color. Next add your egg and vanilla, cream for another minute. I mix with my KitchenAid Mixer on level 8 with the paddle attachment.
3. After creaming your ingredients, add your dry ingredients in slowly on the stir setting to ensure it doesn't spill over the bowl.
4. A slow mix until your dough comes together and then wrap tightly in the fridge for an hour up to overnight until ready to bake. This is a soft dough so it does need the chill time, don't skip this step!

Baking the Cookies

1. When you're ready to bake, using your cookie scoop, make round balls and gently roll in your hands to smooth out. Then roll in a small bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
2. Space on your cookie sheet 1.5" apart to ensure enough space to spread.
3. Bake in the upper third of your oven at 350 degrees - one tray at a time.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies begin to crackle on the tops.
5. Remove, allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack. Continue baking the remaining cookies.

Storage

Cookies are great for about 5-7 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze the cookies or cookie dough.

If you're planning on freezing the cookie dough, chill dough as directed then form into balls and roll in sugar. Place cookie dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight. Once frozen solid, pop into a ziplock bag in freezer to store. Remove frozen cookie balls and bake as directed, they may take an additional 1-2 minutes of baking time. Freeze up to 3 months.

You may also freeze baked cookies. Bake as directed and store in a tightly sealed container. Remove cookies and allow to come to room temperature and enjoy! Freeze up to 3 months.

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media #cosetteskitchen which lets me know what is working for you!

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xoxo,
Cosette

This post is sponsored by Crate and Barrel, all opinions and ideas are my own.

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