Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.
During our nearly ten years of marriage and seven-plus years of parenthood, I’ve spent much more time away from J, and then from J and the kids, than he’s spent away. I’m not gone a lot, but there’s been work training and a few visits home to Oregon. Recently, though, for the first time ever, J left all three kids and me for three days while he chaperoned a school trip.
I’ve never been secretive about the fact that J is a better parent than I am. I don’t think I’m a bad parent, and I think in many ways we complement each other well, but if there was a scorecard, he would come out ahead. He’s the exclusive handler of all bodily fluids that don’t come inside a diaper, and he is the reason our kids always have clean clothes to wear.
Despite my status as the lesser parent, all four of us survived in J’s absence. We weren’t late getting anywhere, everyone got fed, and I even managed to wash a load of laundry (I literally mean wash; the clothes got moved to the dryer, but not fully dried).
I also found time to whip up a batch of Chewy Southern Molasses Cookies. I was left with a big jar of homemade molasses after my mother-in-law gave it to me to use to make Instant Pot Baked Beans, and I knew I’d use at least some of it for these cookies. A molasses cookie is super similar to a gingersnap, but where gingersnaps are typically crunchy (snappy), molasses cookies are soft and chewy.
Whatever you call them, just be sure to make a batch or two soon. You’ll wonder why scrumptious spice cookies like these aren’t a staple in your kitchen!
