These are my absolute favorite cookies. They have crunchy caramelized sugar on the outside, a super chewy inside, and they’re loaded with apricots and ginger. It was very difficult not to eat them all before I could get pictures.
My husband calls these “the gingerbread fruitcake cookies” and I urge you to take that to heart. I add dried apricots, and sometimes candied ginger, but these would be amazing with your favorite dried or candied fruit. If you don’t have a nut allergy, they’re also spectacular with some toasted walnuts and/or pecans.
You can make these with white granulated sugar, or brown sugar. If you want them extra molasses-y, use dark brown sugar. Sprinkle the tops or roll them in sugar or sanding sugar before baking for extra crunchy sugary goodness.
You can omit add-ins if you’re not big on cookies with fruit or nuts, and they’re still great as a soft gingerbread cookie.
If you want to make the cookie dough ahead of time, these freeze well. Just scoop out your cookies, place them on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, stick them in the freezer for an hour, and then transfer them to an airtight container. They will be good in your freezer for 2 months.
Allow frozen cookie dough to come to room temperature before baking.
If you make cookies often, and don’t already have some, grab yourself some disher/server scoops. These make scooping out cookie dough a quicker and easier process. They also ensure that you have uniform cookies.
Before baking these cookies, squish them down just a little, and then sprinkle some sugar over the tops.
Baked cookies will stay fresh for a week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
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Apricot Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- large chef's knife
- cutting board
- wooden spoon or stiff spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar white or brown, light or dark
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried apricots roughly chopped
- ¼ cup chopped candied ginger (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- granulated or sanding sugar for rolling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda, and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar with a paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
- Beat egg and molasses into butter and sugar mixture on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain.
- Fold in apricots with a wooden spoon (and candied ginger and nuts, if using).
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out dough, roll in or sprinkle tops with sugar or sanding sugar (optional), place on a silicone mat or parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart, and slightly flatten.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on size of cookies, or until tops are cracked.
- Allow to cool on baking sheets, or move to cooling racks.
- Cookies will stay fresh for a week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
A 1.25 oz serving scoop will yield about 2 dozen 2.5″ cookies. 1.25 oz cookies took 11-12 minutes to bake.
You can make this dough ahead of time and freeze. Scoop out dough and place onto a cookie sheet and freeze for an hour. Then place frozen cookies into an airtight container. Allow dough to come to room temperature before baking. Cookie dough will last for 2 months in the freezer. 
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