Use ordinary unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap, whose bitterness overwhelms this low-sugar dough.
Molasses supplies a little moisture to a rice-flour shortbread dough with a firm sandy bite.
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Ginger Molasses Rice-Flour Shortbread Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- mixing bowl
- mixer
- kitchen scale
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- fork
- wide spatula
- cooling rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Mix the dough: Stir butter and sugar smooth, blend in molasses, then add both flours, ginger and salt. Press just until no dry flour remains; do not add water or baking soda.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: Divide all dough into 24 equal portions (about 14 g each). Press between parchment into 1 3/4-inch rounds, about 1/3 inch thick. Mark lightly with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool the cookies
- Cool the cookies: Rest 10 minutes on each tray, then cool 20 minutes on a rack before packing; the 30-minute cooling allowance includes the tray rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 25 min hands-on + 30 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 30 min cooling/setting = 129 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Liquid molasses replaces part of the dry sugar and changes hydration, while rice flour keeps the unleavened dough short rather than chewy.
Technique & texture
Use ordinary unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap, whose bitterness overwhelms this low-sugar dough.
Finishing & serving
These stay denser than gingerbread because there is no egg or chemical leavener; cool fully for the intended sandy break.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; keep away from moist treats. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Optional 3–5 minutes. Refresh plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan for 3–5 minutes, then cool 20 minutes before sealing. This extra time is outside fresh-batch timings. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why add liquid molasses to shortbread?
Liquid molasses replaces part of the dry sugar and changes hydration, while rice flour keeps the unleavened dough short rather than chewy.
Can I use blackstrap molasses?
Use ordinary unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap, whose bitterness overwhelms this low-sugar dough.
Are these soft gingerbread cookies?
These stay denser than gingerbread because there is no egg or chemical leavener; cool fully for the intended sandy break.
