The smell of these cookies baking in the oven will fill your house with the most delicious, festive aroma. These cookies taste like traditional molasses cookies with slightly crispy edges, a soft and tender middle…and a slight hit of heat thanks to the addition of black pepper. I like to top mine with a generous swirl of royal icing, but they’re just as delicious without it. For super soft cookies, I recommend baking for 12 minutes. If you like a cookie with a little crunch around the edges, go for 14 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white sugar, for rolling

For the royal icing:

• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp meringue powder
• 8-10 tbsp water, at room temperature
• sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a bowl. stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, mix together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Next, add in the molasses, egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms and starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.
6. Use a large ice cream scoop to form the dough into large balls and roll into the white sugar to coat. Place balls on prepared baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are slightly cracked and golden. Cool cookies completely before icing.
8. For the royal icing: in a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the royal icing. Mix until smooth. If you want a thicker icing, add a bit more sugar. For a thinner consistency, add a little more water. Use an offset spatula to spread the icing on the cooled cookies. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired, and let the cookies set for at least one hour before serving.

Yield: About 12 extra large cookies