I was watching my family inhale oven warm cookies the other day and could not help but feel a little sad at the speed of their disposal.  It took time to gather the ingredients, mix the right amounts, and dutifully watch the cookies bake so they would be perfect! This family of mine wasn’t even tasting them!! I believe the reason we eat so many cookies when cookies are available, is simply because we don’t taste the first three or four we consume. It’s only when our gut protests that we slow down and taste what we are eating.

The next day, I asked my youngest son to taste his cookie. To describe what it felt like to eat. To close his eyes and take another bite. He ate it slow, and really savored the cookie. I had also forewarned him there was only one cookie to be eaten and no more!

The cookies above are a recipe I found on allrecipes.com a long time ago. It is a molasses cookie and one of my top two all time favorites. I have made a few changes like extra cinnamon.  The secret to perfect cookies is to refrigerate the dough and to NEVER over bake. Never, ever, ever, over bake. If they are almost done, finish them with the oven turned off.  A burnt cookie isn’t worth the calories.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter melted

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur unbleached)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup white sugar (set aside)

1. In a medium size bowl, stir together melted butter and 1 cup sugar. Let sit for a few minutes to cool.

2. Meanwhile. combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. (except extra sugar)

3. Add egg to butter and sugar mixture until smooth. Next stir in molasses until well blended. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and stir until completely mixed.

4. Refrigerate dough at least one hour.

5. Preheat oven to 375.  Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and then roll each one in the remaining white sugar.

6. Bake 8-10 minutes. Tops will be cracked when they are done.

Anytime I bring these cookies anywhere, my friends ask for the recipe. I am a chocolate chip cookie girl, but these are pretty amazing. I often freeze half of the dough (already in balls not dipped in sugar) so we have some for later.