Fall is in the air. Sort of. Here it's still hitting the upper 80s and 90s during the day, so it's not feeling exactly fall-ish. Nonetheless, pumpkin everything is all up in the stores, so the fall flavors are definitely in full effect. These cookies fit right into that mold, plus they've got a little extra kick to them.
What's that kick? Rum! Yep, these cookies have some rum baked right up in there, giving them a nice little punch. Add in some molasses and fall spices (ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves), and you know what I'm talking about. Another interesting fact? These don't have any eggs in them! What?! I know. Instead, the dough is extremely sticky thanks to a heaping amount of molasses, so you have to refrigerate it for at least 8 hours, then actually roll it out and cut out the cookies.
I admit, the extra amount of work required to make these cookies usually isn't my thing. I typically prefer recipes that are easy peasy and rolling stuff out multiple times while having to make sure a ton of flour is out there is usually something I would give up on. But I decided to give these a go anyway! The real question is - did I like them?
I'll admit, I wasn't so sure at first. But then, after they had sat out for a while and I tried them again, they had definitely become more addictive. They end up being pretty soft despite their thinness, with perhaps a little crunch at the edges. They also really retain their shape, so if you plop some extra dough on top of one, it'll look weird and misshapen rather than if it's nice and flat and rolled out. Also, in the pictures that white dusting is the flour from when I rolled them out, not some extra powdered sugar or anything. Yes, you really do need that much flour!
So if you're in the mood for something a little different this fall, give these a go! I'm told they originate in Massachusetts over 200 years ago, which maybe explains why I'd never heard of them before, being from the west coast. Oh also! You should totally get some pumpkin ice cream and make a sandwich with these cookies! Perfect combo, am I right?
Molasses and rum combined with spices for a perfect fall cookie.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup dark rum (such as Myers)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions:
- Stir rum, water, and salt in small bowl until salt dissolves. Whisk flour, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in medium bowl. Stir molasses and baking soda in large measuring cup (mixture will begin to bubble) and let sit until doubled in volume, about 15 minutes.
- With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually beat in rum mixture. Add one-third of flour mixture, beating on medium-low until just incorporated, followed by half of molasses mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add half of remaining flour mixture, followed by remaining molasses mixture, and finally remaining flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, give dough final stir (dough will be extremely sticky). Cover bowl containing dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until stiff, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with half of dough at a time on a heavily floured work surface, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 12 cookies. Transfer 6 cookies to each baking sheet, spacing cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are set and just beginning to crack, about 8 minutes, rotating rack position and direction of baking sheets halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on sheets 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. (Cookies may be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.)
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