Chinese Five Spice Cookies

There’s never not a perfect time for cookies, so why not while away an afternoon making Chinese five-spice cookies with a warming spark of spice baked right inside? These delicious molasses spice cookies are easy to make. Plus, when you enjoy them alongside a glass of milk and a blazing fire, they become a part of a recipe for winter contentment.

What is Chinese Five Spice? 

Chinese five spice powder is a fragrant blend of five aromatic spices commonly used in Chinese cuisine. This versatile seasoning typically includes star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns. The combination of these spices creates a warm, complex flavor profile that adds an almost savory depth and richness to our cookie recipe. If you happen to not be able to find Chinese five spice, there are alternatives that can give you a similar flavor profile. Garam masala is a great substitute that you can use the same measurements for since it includes carraway seeds and cardamom. But, it is missing the star anise quality so if you’re craving that specific flavor, we recommend adding it in separately from the garam masala.

Chinese Five Spice Cookies

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• Author: Keith Recker

Print Recipe

Description

These cookies are sure to warm you up during the wintertime with its special spice blend.

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar (plus another cup and a half or so for rolling prior to baking)
• 1/2 plus 1 tbsp cup dark molasses
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ tsp orange extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking soda (yes, that’s right: 4 teaspoons!)
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 3/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream room temperature butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, molasses, and orange extract and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Add one-third at a time and mix until combined.
4. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 90 minutes or until thoroughly chilled.
5. Roll approximately 3 tablespoons of dough at a time into small balls. Roll each ball in a bowl of sugar to coat completely, and place on a lined baking sheet. Place balls approximately 2.5” apart.
6. When the baking sheet is full, bake for 10 minutes, at which point they should start to crackle. Baking longer makes crispier cookies, but these are great at the chewy stage.

Story, Photography, Food, by Keith Recker

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