Soft Ginger Cookies

One of my favorite flavors is gingerbread, whether it’s found in a latte from Starbucks or a freshly baked treat.  For Thanksgiving this year I was tasked with bringing a dessert (surprise, surprise) so I wanted to find something that people would want to eat after stuffing themselves silly with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes….

Our cookie preference is always for chewy versus crispy, so I knew I didn’t want a traditional gingersnap but something that was softer.  Google to the rescue!  This recipe from All Recipes was exactly what I was looking for, not to mention that it provided enough cookies so I could leave some for my parents while we were able to hold onto a few ourselves.  I made a few changes to the original recipe, subbing in brown sugar for half of the white sugar and increasing the spices slightly to really bring out that gingerbread flavor.  I also rolled the cookies in turbinado sugar, which provided a nice contrast between the crunchiness of the sugar and the softness of the cookie.  I absolutely loved these cookies, enough that they’ll be added to the regular rotation.  Try them out!

Soft Ginger Cookies (adapted from All Recipes)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in turbinado sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased or Silpat covered cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.  Place the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator in between batches so it’s easier to handle. 

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 32 cookies.