Molasses Spice Cookies

We have a rule in my family, no Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving.
Now, I love the Christmas season more than well, a lot of things. And having to wait until that one Black Friday every year is sometimes a lot harder than it should be. But, I grit my teeth and I bear it. Every year. For 11 months. I suffer.
Then, after the months and weeks and days of waiting, that wonderful day appears. Christmas music appears everywhere, wreaths are on the street lights, lights on the houses in the neighborhood. It's like the Heavens have opened up and everything is right with the world.
Ha..Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic.
But really, I love this day.
Unfortunately this year the Christmas-ness in my world was halted a little bit since I had to work, so no time for putting up the decorations or Black Friday shopping. But you better believe there was Christmas music at work.
And cookies.
Spicy, delicious, Christmasy, cookies.

Molasses Spice Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. lower-protien unbleached all-purpose flour (I used regular AP Flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tso finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar, plus 1/2 c. for rolling
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:
-Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Line large baking sheet with parchment.
-In medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, spices, pepper and salt.
-Either by hand or with electric mixer, beat the butter with brown sugar and 1/3 c. granulated sugar at medium high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 min.)
-Reduce speed to medium low and add yolk and vanilla, increase speed and beat until incorporated (about 20 seconds).
-Reduce speed and add molasses beat until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping the bottom and sides once with rubber spatula.
-Reduce speed to lowest setting and add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, scraping the bowl once.
-Give the dough a final stir by hand to ensure no flour pockets at bottom. (dough will be soft).
-Place 1/2 c. sugar in shallow bowl for rolling. Fill small bowl with cold tap water.
-Dip hands in water and roll heaping Tbsp. of dough into scant ball.
-Drop ball in sugar and roll to coat.
-Set on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
-Bake about 11 min. (cookies will "crack", edges are puffy and inside of cracks look raw). Do not overbake.
-Cool on baking sheet for 5 mins. and trasfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
-Serve when cooled to room temperature.
Source: Good Things Catered