Mocha Molasses Cookies

 Aran has been my gluten-free baking guru for more than a decade. Her recipes are like magic.

Adapted from Aran Goyoaga

170g unsalted butter, room temperature
100g sugar, plus more for rolling
110g light brown sugar
1/4 cup (80g) mild molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
140g superfine brown rice flour
100g almond flour, sifted
30g tapioca starch
2 tbsp (8g) instant espresso powder (Blue Bottle has a great one)
1 tbsp (7g) cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 oz (115g) 70% chocolate (I like Hu Gems)

For rolling the dough: 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar & 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-low speed using a paddle attachment until creamy, about one minute. Add the egg and mix to combine.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown rice flour, almond flour, tapioca starch, espresso powder, cacao powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add to the butter/sugar mix and beat until just combined. Then add the chocolate.

4. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and ginger. Using a 1-tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll in the sugar. Place dough on the prepared baking sheet leaving 3 inches in between cookies and bake only 6 at a time.

6. Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are crispy and the center still feels slightly under baked. The cookies will harden as they cool so don’t over-bake. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes so they don't fall apart.

Once cool, I like to store any extras in the freezer.