Old-fashioned Molasses Cookie Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and one cup sugar until creamy (reserve the ¼ cup sugar for rolling the cookie dough).

Add molasses and the egg and beat until well blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Add to molasses mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix; just blend until no more dry flour is visible.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. An hour is best.

Form dough into one-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar and place two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until cookies have just set. Allow them to cool for one minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.