Ginger Molasses Cookies

My husband and his family have definitely helped turn me onto ginger cookies. My father-in-law just loves them, and the whole gang really has a thing for ginger. So when my darling cousin Portia (on my father-in-laws side, see!) made me these awesomely chewy ginger cookies, I knew I had to share them with you all.

These guys are seriously so good. The texture and spice is spot on. And look at that crackle! It's actually perfect. 

The secret here is of course the candied ginger, but more technically speaking it's to space the cookies far enough apart, and to bake the dough straight from the fridge. I like to form the balls with a scoop, and refrigerate them for about 5-10 minutes before I put them in to bake. Make sure you don't over crowd your pan when you're placing them down, I put about 6-8 max per pan. I found that if I didn't do these two things, the cookies didn't end up with that perfect crackle on top, and melted into each other slightly. 

The unsulfured molasses is probably the one you have in your cabinet, but if you are going to buy it, just check to make sure. It's a flavor thing. As always, room temperature ingredients are key. If you forget and are in a pinch, microwave the butter very slowly, in no more than 10 second increments until it's soft but not melted. If it's melted you've gone too far and it will affect the cookie outcome. For the eggs, just let them hang out in warm water (not boiling of course) until they feel room temperature.

Trust me on these things, because if you're gifting these holiday cookies (more on that here), you want them to taste and look amazing!

All photos courtesy of Mariah Cropley Photo

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Ginger Molasses Cookies

by Jennifer Bravo December-11-2017

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups, plus extra for rolling granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 cup candied ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Measure the flour, baking soda, salt ginger, and cloves into a bowl and whisk to combine. (Put the dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sieve if the flour or baking soda is clumpy. 3. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and molasses on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture is lighter in color and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl several times during the process. 4. While the mixture is running, crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and add the vinegar. Reduce the speed to low, then slowly pour in the eggs, letting them fall in one at a time and incorporating the first egg completely before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl one during this process. 5. Gradually add the dry ingredients (in 2 to 3 additions) with the mixer on low speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once, to fully incorporate the butter and sugar. Mix in the candied ginger (to be added like chocolate chips). 6. Scoop the dough into balls the size of ping-pong balls (about 1.5 ounces). Roll the balls in sugar then refrigerate for 10 minutes. Once chilled, arrange them on the prepared pans, 6 per pan. Press each ball into a ¾-inch disk. 7. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. The cookies should be rich brown in color, with crackly tops. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet. Tips: The dough gets sticky, so keep the dough cold and use a spoon to form cookies. DO NOT place more than 6 on a tray to insure they cook perfectly.

Details

Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 2 1/2 dozen