Joe Froggers (WAPO - NMAAHC)

Adapted from a recipe developed by Albert Lukas at the Sweet Home Cafe in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, published in the Washington Post series on regional US cookies. The story

• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Generous 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• Generous 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 C granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

Combine molasses, water, and rum in a saucepan; bring to boil, simmer 1 minute, cool completely.

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Cream butter and sugar.

Add molasses-rum-water mixture to butter and sugar, mix well.

Add dry ingredients, mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Put parchment paper on several cookie sheets.

Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on breadboard.

Roll dough 1/4" thick on sugared surface. Cut out cookies with 3" diameter circular cutter. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing cookies at least 1" apart. Sprinkle tops with more sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are set yet still seem soft in the center, rotating sheet halfway through.