Bourbon Molasses Cookies

4 2/3 cups allpurpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking soda

1 1/2 Tbsps. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1 pinch finely ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. salt

1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. orange extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap variety)

3 Tbsps. bourbon

1/2 cup granulated sugar In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, black pepper and salt. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in vanilla and orange extracts and beat until combined. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add in eggs, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Add in molasses and bourbon and beat until combined. Gradually add in dry ingredients and beat until it’s evenly incorporated. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 350°F when ready to bake. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll dough into evenly sized balls. The cookie scoop makes this easy. Fill small and shallow bowl with granulated sugar. Roll each ball in sugar until it’s completely coated. Place sugar coated cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each ball for spreading. Bake, one tray at a time, for 9 to 12 minutes, or until cookies have puffed up and have begun to slightly crack on top. (They will crack more as they cool, don’t over bake!) Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then carefully transfer cookies to a separate cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Serve cookies warm, or completely cool them and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cookies may also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted from bakerbynature.com.