The perfect Ginger Cookie
Some people go for the chocolate chip as their favorite cookie. For me, I have to go with a ginger cookie. Not the ginger snap mind you. While some people prefer the crispness of the snap, I love biting into a soft, chewy cookie all full of spicy goodness. As soon as it starts to get cool in the Fall, I start thinking about this cookie.
For the following recipe, I used a #00 cookie scoop and reduced the cooking time to 10 minutes, turning the cookie sheet front to back at 5 minutes.
GINGER COOKIES (adapted from Sherry Yard)
2 ½ cups unbleached, all purpose flour (I use King Arthur’s)
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter – cut into ½” pieces
1 cup light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1 cup sugar for coating
Sift flour and baking soda together and set aside in a bowl.
In a large bowl, cream butter on medium speed until pale yellow. Scrape down bowl and add sugar, spices and salt. Cream at medium speed, scrap down bowl.
Add egg and molasses and combine on low speed until incorporated. Do not over-mix.
Add flour mixture over low speed and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
Remove dough from bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Dough will keep in fridge about a week or 1 month in freezer.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a small scoop, roll dough into ball and coat dough in coarse sugar and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, 1” apart.
Bake on middle rack, 6 – 7 minutes, then turn baking pan 180 degrees and bake for additional 6 – 7 minutes. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
