Big Molasses Crinkle Cookie

This version of the classic molasses crinkle cookie has a few tweaks to make it especially tender and chewy. It originally appeared in Fresh From the Farm (by Susie Middleton) as part of a dessert that included roasted pears and whipped cream, so the cookies were extra wide. But you can make them any size — just shorten up the cooking time accordingly, and err on the side of undercooking. The cookies freeze beautifully. Read Down the Ginger Cookie Rabbit Hole.

Makes 16 four-inch or 30 two-inch cookies

• 2 1/4 cups (10 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• Table salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about a minute. Stop the motor and scrape the sides down.

3. Add the egg and beat on medium speed until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the molasses and the vegetable oil and beat on medium-low speed until well combined. Stop the motor and scrape the sides down.

4. With the motor running on low, spoon in the dry ingredients gradually and mix until just combined (you’ll still see some flour). Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a silicone spatula to finish gently mixing the last bits of flour into the dough.

5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

6. Heat the oven to 375° F degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the remaining 4 tablespoons granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Put a small bowl of water out.

7. For large cookies, roll the dough into big balls that are about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. For medium cookies, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball in the sugar and roll around to coat. Put each on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each dough ball with a little water. Repeat, spacing dough balls 4 to 5 inches apart on the baking sheets (for the large cookies) and 2 to 3 inches apart for medium cookies.

8. Bake until the cookies are set around the edges, slightly puffed (they will collapse as they cool), and crackled on the top, 11 to 13 minutes for larger cookies, 10 to 11 minutes for the medium cookies, rotating the baking sheets to opposite racks halfway through cooking. Cool on the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting new parchment on the baking sheets.