Smoky Cardamom Ginger-Molasses Cookies Recipe on Food52 (2024)

EmMa May 14, 2022

Complete disaster for me. No cookie shape at all, just a big blurb on my cookie pan. I have no clue how I can save that left over cookie batter.

I generally hate gingerbread cookies. I know, I know - everyone seems to love them and I bake them every year for the holidays to give as gifts but I can't stand them. And I don't know what it is! I love all the components but when they get baked together - meh. So I was on a quest to find some that I liked so baking them wouldn't feel like such a chore and wow are these it! I've made them with both the more standard green cardamom and the black cardamom and the black cardamom makes such a difference. Herbal, smoky, delicious! These have a great spice profile, bake up nice and soft, and don't lose their ginger flavor after baking like some gingerbread cookies do. My new go to ginger cookie!

Question: I've made these twice (in 3 days!), first time around with green cardamom pods, and yesterday after I located some black ones. The first batch were perfect; the second were delicious but strangely cakey and just this side of dry. Can anyone help me figure out what's going on? I'm pretty sure (never absolutely sure) that I added the right amounts of everything else.

My husband is from a family of Norwegians and we use green cardamom in many of our Christmas and holiday baked goods, so I used what I had on hand and it turned out fabulous - like someone else I cannot keep enough in my cupboard to satisfy my family (having 8 kids, 5 of which are boys, doesn't help either :) )! But they are a great find - will keep churning them out as fast I can. I did reduce the salt a teeny bit (did anyone else's taste a bit salty?) and I used raw sugar to infuse and coat the outside of the cookie and that increased the incredible deliciousness of this cookie! So good...thanks for this recipe!

Erica December 24, 2016

I finally made these with the black cardamom- the seeds in my pods varied from non existent/to very dry/to black and sticky. I ended up measuring out 1 tsp of the ground seeds because they were so strong and medicinal I was afraid to ruin the dough.(That said, the pods that soaked in the butter were so interesting and tasty to me when removing them from the melted butter). My dough was very dry when I took it out of the fridge 12 hrs later, but the cookies rolled into nice balls and are yummy. Flatter than the picture but definitely have some "chewy" in the middle, a bit of the piney cardamom taste, but not off putting. I really want to try these with "regular" green cardamom and see if there's a difference. Very fun experiment. Very tasty cookie.

These are perfect molasses cookies. Not too strongly molasses flavored but just enough. The black cardamom is perfect and I think the addition of black pepper is genius, The only problem with them: I can't seem to make enough at one time to satisfy my family!

These are amazing! Made them with regular cardamom and all purpose flour cause thats what I had on hand. Simply delicious! Thank you for the recipe.

Erica December 3, 2016

After reading this recipe this afternoon, I took a walk to my local spice shop and picked up black cardamom. I am so surprised...it is NOTHING like the green pods and ground powder I am used to. The pods are huge and they smell like pine tar. Am I on the right track? I am imagining that the cookies made with the "typical" cardamom powder and the ones made with the black cardamom have a much different flavor profile. I don't especially like the taste of pine-but don't want to miss out on anything! Will someone please comment on this? Thank you!!!

judy November 16, 2016

This recipe works great for a refrigerator cookie roll. I like to put together several the week after Thanksgiving, and then I always have cookies on hand for the holidays--slice and bake a few and the rest back into the freezer! roll in nuts, or sprinkles or mini chips or mixed sweet and savory seeds or grated citrus zest before baking. Or cut a little thicker and make a thumbprint and dot with jam or a piece of fig or dried fruit. All kinds of possibilities with good basic refrigerator cookies on hand!

Dona October 21, 2016

Oh my gosh, this is my new favorite cookie!

The Loveliest Molasses cookie I have tasted to date. I love that the molasses flavor is light and NOT in your face molasses like many recipes

Found myself reaching for the raspberry jam to make sandwiches, and then I remembered why: Martha Stewart Living February 1999's Gingersnap-Raspberry Sandwiches. Thanks for an overdue update!

I've been making these cookies at least once a month - it's that good. Over the summer I purchased a large canister of black cardamom pods to use in a other recipes on this site. Now I don't want to use the other recipes - I'm saving them all to make more cookies! Thank you for a great recipe!

I have been searching for the perfect chewy ginger cookie and this is it! I didn't have black cardamom pods so I used green (and used 7 as someone below commented they'd use more next time), chilled the dough overnight, and popped it in the freezer for 10 minutes after rolling before putting in the oven. Mine were done in about 9 minutes, and weren't as dark as the picture but after they cool and settle for a bit they are! Delicious!

Just finished baking these for the 25 degree weather outside & they are perfect! I followed the recipe except I reduced the butter by 2 Tbsp & used 1/4 ground cardamom instead as I had no pods on hand. They turned out exactly like the picture, without any more flour. I chilled the dough overnight and used a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop to portion the dough before rolling them into balls & then into sugar. I then chilled the balls again for about 15 minutes in the freezer, on the cookie sheet, before baking them for 10 minutes. They are delicious and picture perfect!

Just finished my third batch of these guys. To get the cookies in the picture, I increased the flour by 1/3 cup. The dough needs to be cold, the butter needs to be hard. I kept my hands cold while rolling. After rolling in sugar, I froze them while I cooked dinner. Then I baked them for ten minutes. I wish I could post a picture to show the difference temperature of the dough makes.

These are my new favourite cookies! I didn't have any black cardamoms, so used green ones instead. But still great. Making my second batch with a few more (green) cardamoms this time.

I just made these and they are delicious, but do not resemble the cookies pictured. They are flat as pancakes. I did not have cake flour and just used all purpose. Does the cake flour make the puff more?