Indulge in the Magic of the Season with Chuao's Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
Guest Post by Ashley Scheuring - https://confessionsofagroceryaddict.com/
As the festive season twinkles upon us, it's time to warm your kitchen with the aroma of homemade cookies and the joy of sharing. We at Chuao Chocolatier are excited to introduce a delightful twist to your holiday dessert lineup: Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies featuring our exquisite Hope, Joy, & Gingerbread milk chocolate bars.
Imagine a cookie that perfectly marries the rich depth of soft molasses cookies with classic chocolate chip cookies. Each bite is a journey through contrasting textures — a chewy, tender center and a crisp, sugar-rolled exterior that sparkles as though dusted with winter's first frost.
The warmth of the holiday season is captured with a cozy blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. These spices weave their magic, creating a warmly aromatic experience that gently dances across the palate. But the true star of the show is Chuao's Hope, Joy, & Gingerbread milk chocolate bars. These chocolate chunks, with their sweet and spicy notes, melt into delicious pools of festive flavor that perfectly contrast the rich molasses.
Whether you're leaving them out for Santa, sharing them with loved ones, or enjoying a quiet moment by the fire, these Christmas chocolate chip cookies promise to kick your holiday spirit into high gear. Each sparkling cookie is like a little package of joy, embodying the essence of the season in every chewy, warmly spiced, chocolatey bite.
Why You’ll Love This Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Here's why these chocolate chip Christmas cookies are a delightful discovery that you'll cherish this holiday season:
- Prep Ahead for Convenience: We understand that the holidays can get hectic. That’s why this recipe is perfect for those who like to plan ahead! Feel free to store rolled balls of cookie dough in refrigerator or freezer so you can make freshly baked cookies on demand all season long.
- Pantry Staples Galore: One of the best things about this recipe is that it primarily uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Simple, accessible ingredients come together to create something magical, ensuring that a warm batch of these cookies is never too far out of reach.
- A Unique Chocolate Experience: The inclusion of Chuao's Hope, Joy, & Gingerbread milk chocolate bars transforms these cookies into a gourmet experience. Unlike regular chocolate chips, these bars add an extraordinary depth of flavor – think sweet, spicy, and utterly festive – that you won’t find in any ordinary chocolate chip cookie. Plus we love the irregularity of chocolate chunks that melt into puddles of chocolatey goodness — who can resist??
- Perfect for Sharing (or Not!): Whether you're gifting them to a neighbor, bringing them to a holiday party, or enjoying them with a hot cup of cocoa by the fireplace, these cookies are made for sharing. But we won’t blame you if you decide to keep them all for yourself – they’re that good!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- 4 Cups All-Purpose Flour - Feel free to swap in your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (preferably one that includes xanthan gum). Make sure to rest the dough to prevent a gritty texture.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt - A solid dose of salt helps to contrast with all the sweet and spicy flavors in these cookies.
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder - This leavening agent is what helps the chewy molasses cookies puff up to perfection.
- 1 ½ teaspoons each Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon, & Ground Cloves - This classic trio of warming spices is essential for the traditional molasses cookie vibes.
- ½ teaspoon Ground Allspice - An extra punch of warming flavor is always welcome. Feel free to swap in an equal amount of extra ginger or use finely ground black pepper for a fun twist.
- 2 sticks Butter - We started with cultured, salted, grass-fed, European-style butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, you may want to add an extra ½-1 teaspoon of kosher salt to taste.
- 3 Cups Granulated Sugar - White sugar helps to create the classic crackly tops on these molasses chocolate chip cookies. If you’re in a pinch, you can use half white and half brown sugar.
- ½ Cup Unsulfured Molasses - Light molasses will have a lighter flavor than dark, but either will work. Just avoid blackstrap molasses, which has a higher acidity and will affect the rise and spread.
- 2 Large Eggs - Let them come to room temperature to make them easier to incorporate into the dough. If you’re using liquid eggs from a carton, you’ll need a scant ½ cup.
- 3 Chuao Hope, Joy, & Gingerbread Bars - Using chopped chocolate bars in place of chocolate chips yields gooier puddles of chocolate. If needed, you can swap in approximately 9 ounces of milk chocolate chips, or the chopped chocolate bars or chocolate chips of your choice.
- ½ Cup Sanding Sugar - The large, sparkly crystals of sanding sugar provide a gorgeous bit of glitz. You can also use turbinado sugar (a.k.a. Sugar in the Raw) for a similar look and texture, or swap in regular granulated sugar instead.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies
Step 1: Whisk Dry Ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Add Molasses to the butter mixture, beating to combine.
Step 4: Add Eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Step 5: Add Dry Ingredients to the butter mixture, working about ½ cup at a time. Add more just as the last bit of flour is still visible but almost gone. The dough will be very thick.
Step 6: Chop Chocolate Bars into small chunks of varying size. Fold into the cookie dough with a wooden spoon, evenly incorporating chocolate throughout.
Step 7: Rest Dough for a minimum of 30 minutes. If possible, cover and rest dough in the fridge overnight.
Step 8: Prep. Preheat the oven to 325F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Step 9: Scoop Dough into 2-Tablespoon balls. Flatten slightly between your palms, then roll in sanding sugar. Place 3 cookies across the short side, 4 across the long side of the pan, spacing evenly. You should have a total of approximately 48 cookies, so bake in 4 batches.
Step 10: Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The cookies will be very soft — this is perfect! Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes on the pan before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Success Tips
With these expert tips, these chocolate chip cookies with molasses are sure to be the talk of the holiday season:
- Patience is Key: For the best results, let your dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, though overnight is ideal. This resting period allows the flour to rehydrate and the flavors to meld and deepen, resulting in a more complex taste and satisfying texture.
- Roll & Freeze: For freshly baked cookies any time, roll your cookie dough into balls, flatten them slightly between your palms, dip in sanding sugar, and freeze them in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. Whenever a cookie craving strikes, pull out as many cookie discs as you need, then bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or two onto the bake time as needed. This way, you can bake a few at a time, ensuring you always have warm, fresh cookies on hand.
- Chunky Chocolate Chunks: Instead of neatly chopping, break your Chuao chocolate bars into rough, rustic chunks. This method not only saves time but also creates pockets of melty chocolate goodness in each cookie, with some pieces melting fully and others staying slightly chunky for a varied texture.
- Soft Cookies? Have Faith: Don't be alarmed if your cookies look too soft or underbaked when they first come out of the oven. Trust the process and give them time to rest. Leave them on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes to firm up. This resting period is crucial for achieving that irresistible combination of a chewy center and a crisp edge.
FAQs (including storage)
Which molasses is best for cookies?
When selecting molasses for cookie baking, the variety you choose plays a crucial role in defining both the taste and texture of your creations. For our Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies, we recommend using unsulfured molasses. This variant is derived from naturally sun-ripened sugarcane and is free from sulfur dioxide — a common preservative found in sulfured molasses.
Unsulfured molasses stands out for its pure, less acidic flavor compared to either its sulfured counterpart or blackstrap molasses. This results in a cleaner and sweeter taste, which beautifully enhances the flavors of spices and chocolate in your cookies, without being overwhelming.
The choice between light and dark unsulfured molasses depends on your flavor preference. Light molasses offers a gentler, sweeter taste and a thinner consistency, perfect for those who enjoy just a hint of molasses. Dark molasses, however, packs a more potent and richer flavor profile, adding a depth and intensity to your cookies. Either way, as long as it's unsulfured, your cookies will be deliciously flavored.
What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft?
While we prefer the flavor of all-butter cookies, if you’re shipping these molasses chocolate chip cookies long-distance, consider swapping out half the butter for an equal amount of shortening. Shortening will keep them soft and chewy for up to 10 days, whereas the butter-only recipe is best enjoyed within about 5 days.
How should I store them?
Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container or zip-top bag. (If you put them in while they’re still warm, condensation will form and make them soggy!) They should keep well for approximately 5 days at room temperature.
