Treats from SMITTEN KITCHEN

Blogger Deb Perelman shares her favorite seasonal desserts, perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime!

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Thick Molasses Spice Cookies

A handful of spices—plus a kick from black pepper—makes these handheld treats irresistible!

2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
½ cup molasses
⅔ cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger
6 Tbs. turbinado sugar, for rolling

Heat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment. Whisk flour, spices, baking soda, salt and pepper in bowl until fully mixed. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour in butter, molasses, brown sugar, yolk and crystallized ginger. Whisk in center a few times (until egg is blended); then switch to spoon to continue mixing. Dough will be thick!

Scoop into balls—try a cookie scoop (1½ Tbs.) or take just shy of 2 Tbs. dough for each. Roll in your hands to shape into a ball, then into turbinado sugar to coat. Space cookies evenly on parchment-lined sheet, and bake for 10–12 min. You want what looks like an underbaked cookie. It will feel soft on top; you will be sure it's raw. But if you lift a cookie, you'll see that it's one shade darker underneath. They're done. Remove from oven and let cookies cool 5 min. before transferring to rack. The cookies set as they cool. If you cut into one too soon, you'll yell, “Deb! These are raw in the middle! How could you?” But after they rest, you will have a more cookie-like perfect texture—crisp outside and tender inside.

Servings: 22-24. Active time: 30 min.

Total time: 1 hr., 20 min.

Deepest Dish Apple Pie

Deb stacks 5 lbs. of apples in this mile-high fall classic

Crust:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 tsp. fine sea or table salt