I read Marcus Samuelsson's autobiography, Yes, Chef: A Memoir and was inspired to try recipes from his cookbook Marcus Off Duty. These cookies are his Swedish grandmother's recipe and in the comments he notes her kitchen was one of his favorite places to hang out as a kid. Sounds familiar. In Swedish, Mormor means grandmother.
The first time I made these, I planned to serve when having guests to our home. My oldest son consumed so many I had to hide the rest. If you like a soft, spicy, molasses cookie then this is the recipe for you.
MORMOR'S SPICE COOKIES
Recipe courtesy of Marcus Samuelsson, Marcus Off Duty cookbook.
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 T baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
10 T unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup molasses
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring with wooden spoon until fragrant 2-3 minutes. Immediately scrape the spices into a bowl. Add flour, baking soda, salt and white pepper and whisk to combine.
Beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the molasses. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake until the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool, line with fresh parchment and bake rest of cookies.
Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.