Mrs. Hewitt’s molasses crinkles

Makes: About 3 dozen cookies

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoons ground ginger teaspoon ground cardamom teaspoon ground cloves teaspoon ground allspice teaspoon freshly ground black pepper teaspoon salt

cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

cup plus cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling dough

cup dark brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

cup dark molasses

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, cloves, allspice, black pepper and salt, and reserve.

3. In the bowl of electric mixer on mediumhigh speed, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add granulated sugar and dark brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined.

4. Reduce speed to low, add molasses and mix until thoroughly incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl and mixing thoroughly. Add flour mixture in thirds, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Place about cup granulated sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. Form dough into 1-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are browned and slightly puffy, with cracks in the tops, about 11 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking (if using a convection oven, check on them at 9 minutes, and if still slightly wet in the cracks, bake an additional 30 seconds). Do not overbake. Remove from oven, cool cookies on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.