Jamaican Cookery

These chewy ginger cookies are soft and delicately flavoured.

Ingredients

• 180 gram (¾ cup) butter, softened
• 500 gram (2 cup) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 60 ml (¼ cup) molasses
• 10 gram (2 tsp.) baking soda
• 600 gram (2½ cups) flour
• 2.5 gram (½ tsp.) ground cinnamon
• 5 gram (1 tsp.) ground ginger
• 5 gram (1 tsp.) ground cloves
• 2.5 gram (½ tsp.) salt
• extra sugar for coating

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F or Gas Mark 4).
2. Cream the butter and the sugar.
3. Add the egg and stir in the molasses.
4. Combine the baking soda, flour, spices and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Combine the wet and dry mixtures.
6. Shape into small (2.5 cm/1 inch diameter) balls and roll in granulated sugar.
7. Place on greased cookie sheet. Do not flatten balls.
8. Bake for about 11 minutes. One way to tell they are done is when the cookies are cracked but the dough inside the cracks doesn't look quite finished. Beyond that they will be too done.