Spicebush Molasses Cookies

Spicebush and apple molasses make these soft cookies a warm and comforting treat. Perfectly balanced between sweet, toasty, and spicy, they’re best enjoyed with a glass of your favorite wild milk.
category
Recipe
Author
Foraged
date
03.17.23
read time
1 minutes

Overview:

Prep Time
55 minutes
Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
70 minutes
Cost
5
Course
Dessert
Keyword
apple, cookies, molasses, spicebush
Cuisine
American, Foraed, Wild
Yields
4

INGREDIENTS:

Spicebush Molasses Cookies Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 12-15 dried spiceberries, finely crushed
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup apple molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- demerera sugar, for rolling

Preparation:

Step 1 - Melt & chill the butter

1. Melt the butter using whatever method you prefer until it is fully liquified but not yet browning. Chill it in a large bowl set in your refrigerator. (Don't skip this step - it breaks down the structure of the butter, giving you a cookie that is wider, softer, and chewy rather than mounded and cake-y).

Melt & chill the butter
Melt & chill the butter
Step 2 - Mix dry ingredients

2. While the butter chills, sift the flour, crushed spiceberries, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Mix dry ingredients
Mix dry ingredients
Step 3 - Cream chilled butter and sugar

3. When the butter is chilled and firm, remove from the refrigerator and add the brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together until fully homogenous and the color starts to lighten. Fold in the egg, then add the apple molasses, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.

Cream chilled butter and sugar
Cream chilled butter and sugar
Step 4 - Fold in wet ingredients

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix thoroughly. The dough should be soft and sticky. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.

Fold in wet ingredients
Fold in wet ingredients
Step 5 - Mix wet and dry ingredients and chill dough

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bowl with demerera sugar, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll balls of dough between your hands to make a sphere, then dip them in the demerara sugar to coat on all sides. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking pans with generous room for spreading. Chill any cookies waiting to be baked.

Mix wet and dry ingredients and chill dough
Mix wet and dry ingredients and chill dough
Step 6 - Roll balls of dough in sugar and bake

6. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 12-14min, rotating halfway through, until the cookies have just begun taking on a darker color on the bottom. Cool before handling.

Roll balls of dough in sugar and bake
Roll balls of dough in sugar and bake

What do spicebush berries taste like?

Spicebush berries (or spiceberries) are a staple in the wild pantry for many in the Eastern United States. Their fruity -spicyflavor is similar to allspice, but their application is versatile. Spiceberries can be used in place of white pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cardamom – just about anywhere you’d use a warm spice!

What does apple molasses taste like?

It comes as no surprise that apple molasses tastes like, well, apples and molasses! Also called Cider Syrup, it’s essentially a highly concentrated apple cider. Traditionally, wild apple are collected, turned into cider, and then boiled down until  thickened. It has a signature sweet-toasty flavor that’s perfect for both sweet and savory application.

Where can I buy spicebush berries and apple molasses?

Right here! Foraged Market lets you shop directly with foragers, farmers, and craft food makers working to sustainably make unique foods. 

make something wild

Need some inspiration or insight on how to use your new goods? We got it.