Orange Ginger Molasses Cookies For Grown Ups

This summer while I was in Maine I shared a cookie called an Orange Julius Ginger cookie. It was spectacular. The three of us who shared it all agreed it was the best cookie of the summer. I came home and tried to recreate it. I finally came up with something close. It is a perfect thanksgiving treat for grownups who love things spicy and sweet.

1 1/2 cups soft butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 eggs

Zest of one orange

2 t. Orange extract

1 package pumpkin spice pudding mix

4 cups of flour

4 t. Baking soda

3 t. Cinnamon

3 t. Ground ginger

1 t. Ground cloves

1/2 t. Allspice

1/2 t. Nutmeg

1 t. Salt

1/4 cup of minced crystallized ginger

In a mixer cream the soft butter and sugar for three minutes. Don’t skip doing this well. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs and continue beating for a minute. Add the molasses, zest and orange extract and mix well. In a separate bowl mix everything else together and add to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing between additions.

Chill this dough at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Take a spoonful of dough and roll into a ball and roll in white sugar and place on a Silpat on a cookie sheet. Place in hot oven and cook for 11mins. Let the cookie cool on the cookie sheet at least 15 mins before moving them. They will stay soft and chewy for a week in an airtight container.