Christine Flynn's dark chocolate and molasses cookies are the result of some beautiful baking serendipity

A bit of baking serendipity led to molasses landing in these cookies — lucky for us all! The recipe is included in executive chef and cookbook author Christine Flynn’s latest cookbook, A Generous Meal: Modern Recipes for Dinner, and results are perfectly chewy and chocolatey. 

This cookie dough can also be frozen in individual balls and then baked individually when you’re craving a fresh-baked treat. Flynn told us if you’re going that route, “You will want to give the dough balls a good squash onto your parchment-lined sheet tray and let them thaw for about 10 minutes at room temperature before popping in the oven.” You may need to adjust the bake time by a minute or two, but they’ll still maintain their terrific texture. Another tip from the chef: these cookies “make an unbelievable ice cream sandwich with vanilla ice cream!”

Dark Chocolate and Molasses Cookies

By Christine Flynn

I made a version of these by accident when I was trying to bake cookies with my daughters on a lazy Sunday. We were all out of brown sugar, so I added some molasses along with the white sugar. I was a bit heavy handed, and I worried that the cookies would taste too much like a molasses cookie. Instead, they turned out to be the most perfect, chewy, dare I say, satisfying chocolate chunk cookie I’ve ever made.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) fancy molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp (2 mL) espresso powder
• 1¼ cups + 1 tbsp (315 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
• ½ tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
• 1 cup (250 mL) dark chocolate chunks

Preparation

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and molasses on high speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the espresso powder. Mix until well combined.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. On low speed, mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chunks. Stir to combine. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Roll the chilled dough into 1½- to 2-inch (4 to 5 cm) balls. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Press each dough ball slightly to flatten. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and slam the baking sheet once, sharply, against a hard (non-chippable) surface to help the cookies settle. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes 12 large cookies.

Excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn. Copyright © 2023 Christine Flynn. Photographs by Suech and Beck. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.