Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papers or baking mats.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper, and salt together. Set aside.
In a mixer, add the butter, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. Beat until light and fluffy, about three to four minutes.
Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for an additional minute before adding the molasses and beating for another two minutes, or until everything is one single color. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Pour in the flour mixture and mix until everything is just incorporated and there are no streaks of flour.
Add the remaining granulated sugar in a small bowl.
Dampen your hands and portion out two tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough between your damp hands to form a ball, then roll the ball in the sugar until completely coated. Repeat with all of the dough.
Place the balls of cookie dough two inches apart on your baking sheets.
Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for about 11 minutes, or until the cookies have begun to set at the edges, but are still puffy in the centers and still look underdone in the middles.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 152kcal
Keyword chewy molasses, cookies
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