As I poured 1/4 c molasses into the batter, memories of my trip to the Philippines when I was 7 years old came flooding back. My father hadn't been home to his native country in over 20 years which called for a big celebration. He was the eldest son that left home to work in the sugar plantation when he was 17 years old. I remembered the day that the my aunts and uncles prepared desserts and I was fascinated by the process of the carabao (water buffalo) dragging weights over the sugar cane to extract the sweet liquid that would become a thick, dark amber syrup needed to make all the kankanen (Filipino desserts). I believe besides the ginger, it was also the molasses that gave these cookies a distinctive sweet spicy flavor.
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