Chewy Molasses Cookies

Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, ¾ tsp. ground cardamom, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl.

Whisk 1 large egg, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (4 oz.) mild-flavored (light) or robust-flavored (dark) molasses, and ¼ cup (packed; 53 g) dark brown sugar in a medium bowl. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients just to combine.

Place coarse sanding or raw sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop out dough with a small cookie scoop or tablespoon and roll into balls (if dough is sticky, chill 20 minutes). Roll in sugar and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2" apart. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through, until cookies are puffed, crackling, and just set around edges (overbaked cookies won’t be chewy), 8–10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Do Ahead: Cookie dough can be made and rolled into balls 2 weeks ahead. Freeze on a baking sheet; transfer to resealable plastic bags. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before rolling in sugar. Cookies can be baked 1 week ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature.