Servings: 30 serving(s)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
These soft molasses cookies deliver on flavour, spice, and delicious, warming comfort.
This is one of those classic old fashioned soft (but not too soft) molasses cookies. They’re the famous Pubnico molasses cookies, also known as Long Johns, Moose Hunters, Fat Archie’s & Lumberjacks. They’re also quite similar to our recipe for Katie’s Fat Molasses Cookies.
Soft but sturdy molasses cookies have been around for a long time. They travel well and are filling so are as practical as they are delicious.
These are meant to be a thicker cookie so take care not to roll them too thinly. The dough texture will vary depending on your flour. If it seems too soft to handle you can add up to an extra ¼ cup of flour. And you’ll use more flour when you roll them out.
Different versions of this cookie have different spice blends. Feel free to add extra ginger if you’d like them a little spicier.
PrintPubnico Soft Molasses Cookies
This is a classic old fashioned soft (but not too soft) molasses cookie. Also known as Long Johns, Moose Hunters, Fat Archie’s & Lumberjacks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 1/2 – 5 cups all-purpose flour, spooned in
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon each of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl cream sugar and butter. Add molasses and egg and blend well.
- Combine dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk.
- Scrape dough onto a lightly flowered surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. (Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if the dough is too soft to handle.)
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds (or preferred shape).
- Place on prepared sheet, about 1 1/2 “ apart.
- Bake 12-15 minutes.
Notes
If you loved this recipe be sure to let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to give it a star ranking.
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i really like your recipes the ingredients are things you have
Sandra, Thank you for the complement. We try to keep the recipes simple. Simple is good. Keep trying our recipes.
I made it but little difficult dough from fridge. I took little more flour on it and rolled it. They are delicious that my husband loves them. Give you five stars.
Sandra, So happy your husband liked these cookies. Most dough is difficult as it comes out of the fridge, but worth it in the long run. Thanks for the 5 stars!!
I’m going to try these as they look lovely. They seem pretty big. What is the diameter of each cookie. Thank you!
Carol-Ann, I believe each cookie is 3 1/2″ in diameter. You can use whatever size you want, though.
My grandmother used to make these but would substitute all spice for the ginger. I like to add a little nutmeg as well.
Thanks for the recipe, brings back a lot of memories.
Hi Drew, I love the idea of changing up the spices. I guess everyone had their own version back in the day.
The best molasses cookies ever! Can’t miss with Crosby’s!!
Hi Hugh, I agree, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned molasses cookie recipe.
My mom made these as I was growing up but she called them “leatherbacks”. I am going to make them this weekend to help bring back some precious memories. She also topped them with one raisin on each cookie.
Hi Katherine, Thank for sharing your family name for these cookies. I love that there are all sorts of names for them and that they bring back such happy memories.
Hi, can I use as drop cookies instead of rolling them out?
Hi Val, I haven’t tried this recipe as drop cookies so am not sure what the texture would be like if you baked them as a drop cookie.
I enjoy recipes using molasses and especially the molasses cookies and bread recipies.
Hi, I want to put a light dusting of flour on top of the cookie. Do I do that on the dough or the baked cookie please? Thanks
Hi Jan, You could dust them before baking.
Hi,
Is Pubnico cookies made with white sugar and not brown?
Hi Cecilia, This recipe is made with granulated (white) sugar. If a recipe requires brown sugar the ingredients will state brown sugar. Enjoy.