These Molasses Cut Out Cookies combine warm brown sugar and molasses into a flavorful cookie that’s perfect for decorating. Finish them with the easiest flood icing ever for an extra touch of sweetness.
These Molasses Cut Out Cookies happened totally by accident. It all started while I was testing recipes for . No matter how many versions I tried, none of them tasted like the soft, cakey OG Moon Pies I grew up with. But during all that testing I stumbled onto this dough. It wasn’t right for a Moon Pie at all. It wasn’t cake-like enough. But it turned out to be one of the best buttery, brown-sugar-molasses cut out cookie doughs I’ve ever made.
While the cookies look a bit like light gingerbread, they definitely aren’t gingerbread. They are mellow with a touch of honey, and enough molasses flavor to enjoy plain. And though these cookies don’t need icing, I’ve paired them with an incredibly easy shortcut flood icing. It contains no egg whites, no meringue powder, and you don’t even need an electric mixer. Simply whisk it together in a bowl, tint it any color, and decorate.
Make the Molasses Brown Sugar Dough
To begin, cream together the butter and brown sugar until they’re light and fluffy, which ensures your molasses cut out cookies bake up with smooth tops and tender centers. Next, beat in an egg, a touch of honey, molasses, and vanilla extract.
A mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour helps these cookies stay tender but not spread. Bread flour adds structure; all-purpose flour keeps them soft. Whisk the two flours with the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, then add the dry mixture to the wet on low speed until a soft dough forms. Divide, shape into disks, wrap, and chill for an hour so the dough becomes easy to roll and cut.
Roll Out the Dough and Cut Cookie Shapes
Roll each chilled dough portion to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, then cut your cookie shapes using floured cutters to prevent sticking. I used round cutters to make wreath-shaped cookies, and the small circle cutouts from the centers baked into adorable “Rudolph Nose Cookies” once decorated with red icing. Because this dough holds its shape well, you can use simple shapes or more detailed ones without losing definition during baking.
Use Impression Cookie Cutters for Beautiful Undecorated Cookies
This dough works wonderfully with impression cookie cutters. The rolled dough will need to stand at room temperature for about 5-7 minutes so it is soft enough to emboss. I used a (and cutters). The results were so beautiful I chose to leave them unfrosted. Since the dough is so flavorful on its own, imprinting designs is a great way to make decorative cookies without any icing at all.
Chill Cut-Outs, Bake, and Cool Completely
For the sharpest edges, transfer the cut-out cookies to a baking sheet and chill them for 15 minutes before they go in the oven. Then bake until the edges are lightly browned and the tops lose their shine.
Let the cookies cool on the pan briefly before moving them to a rack, and be sure they’re completely cool before icing so the glaze sets perfectly.
The Easiest Flood Icing (No Egg Whites, No Meringue Powder, No Mixer)
This shortcut icing looks like thinned royal icing, but it’s far easier to make. Simply whisk confectioners’ sugar, light corn syrup, flavor extract, and water together by hand until the icing flows in a smooth ribbon that disappears within 10 seconds. Tint with gel food coloring, transfer to piping bags, and decorate. Because it requires no mixer, it’s quick, beginner-friendly, and ideal for making multiple colors without extra equipment.
My cookie designs didn’t require any piped outlines (see the video at the end) but you can certainly use this icing to draw outlines and then flood the centers. To do this, pipe your outline on the cookie, then allow it to dry for 30 seconds. Then flood the interior with more icing.
Another thing I love about this flood icing is that it doesn’t dry rock-hard like traditional stiff royal icing. It sets smoothly and beautifully – sturdy enough to package or even ship in care packages – but the finish stays soft and delicious when you bite into it. I especially love flavoring it with lemon or almond extracts. They add wonderful flavor without affecting the consistency.
Here’s my cookie platter of Nutcracker Soldiers, simple but festive Sprinkle Wreaths, and sparkling ‘Rudolph Noses‘. You can watch me stamp, frost, and sprinkle all of these in the video just before the recipe card.
Do molasses cut out cookies spread when baking?
Nope. Well, not much. They puff slightly but hold their shape very well. Chilling both the dough and the cut-out cookies before baking helps ensure clean edges and defined designs.
Why use both bread flour and all-purpose flour in molasses cut out cookies?
Using a mix of flours gives these cookies the best texture. Bread flour adds structure so the cookies don’t spread, while all-purpose flour keeps them soft and tender.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling if it feels too firm.
Can I freeze molasses cut out cookie dough?
Absolutely. You can freeze the dough disks or the fully cut cookie shapes for up to 2 months.
Do these cookies need icing?
Not at all. These molasses cut out cookies are flavorful enough to enjoy plain, especially when using impression cookie cutters for decorative designs.
Is this flood icing the same as royal icing?
Nope. This icing looks like smooth flood royal icing but is much easier to make. It contains no egg whites or meringue powder and doesn’t dry rock-hard, making it soft and pleasant to eat.
Can this icing be used for outlining and flooding?
Yes! You can pipe outlines and flood the centers using the same icing. Let the outline sit for about 30 seconds before filling for best results.
Can these cookies be stacked, packaged, or shipped?
Yes. Once the icing is fully set, the cookies are sturdy enough for stacking, packaging, and even mailing in care packages.
These are my new holiday tradition! Frosted or simply embossed, these Molasses Cut-Out Cookies are perfect for Santa’s cookies and milk. Their unique flavor and easy decorating might make them your new Christmas tradition, too!
Related recipe:
Molasses Cut Out Cookies with Easy Flood Icing
Equipment
- large baking sheets
- parchment paper
- Cookie cutters
- Impression cookie cutters
Ingredients
Molasses cookies
Easy flood icing
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, honey, molasses, and vanilla extract.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Form each portion into a disk then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Roll each portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4” thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutters (2”-3.5”). Place cut outs on the prepared baking sheets. Chill cut-outs for 15 minutes so they hold their shape during baking.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny. Let cool on the pans 2 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely before icing.
For the easy flood icing
- Divide the icing between bowls and tint with gel food color as desired. Transfer to disposable piping bags with a tiny hole snipped in the end. Or use zip-top bags with one corner snipped.
- Pipe the icing onto the cookies, decorate with sprinkles or sanding sugar if using, and let stand until set, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Notes
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SprinkleBakes
