Famous Ginger Cookies

If there is one recipe that my friends and family request that I make, it is my Ginger Cookies. I know it’s that good, and I am pretty proud of it. I was having an impossible time finding a perfect ginger cookie recipe, I tried about ten then edited this one (Gimme Some Oven Ginger Cookie) to perfection! It’s texture was perfect to begin with. By cooling the dough before you cook it stops it from spreading out like crazy and maintains a soft, not too crispy texture. Now the recipe just wasn’t gingery enough for me! It lacked that boom pow, I know what kind of cookie I am, identity.  So I upped the flavour and landed on what I think is perfection. It is not stiff like a gingersnap, but soft. A crackled top sprinkled in sugar makes it look as good as it tastes.

Famous Ginger Cookie

Takes 2 hours including baking and cooling, about 20 minutes of labor. Makes 5-6 dozen cookies

• 1 1/2 cups  salted butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp salt

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients, the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and set aside

In your mixer or with beaters, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, usually 1-2 minutes. Add in the eggs and molasses and mix on low until combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low until just combined.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely in the fridge or outside on a Canadian winter day,(takes about an hour).

After the dough has been thoroughly cooled, remove from the cold.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Fill a shallow bowl or sided plate with white sugar. Roll dough into about quarter sized balls. Roll in sugar until covered. If not cooking immediately place back in the fridge or freezer to preserve the cookie’s texture.

Bake on cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Closer to 8 minutes results in a softer cookie texture, and a more dome- shaped cookie. The cookies will look more domed when they come out of the oven and will flatten and crack as the cool.  At 10-11 minutes the cookie is firmer and more gingersnapish texture, drier and stiffer. 9 minutes is my perfect time for the best of both worlds, still soft but with lovely crunch on the outside and rich colour. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to a sealed container. They will keep for a week on the counter, and can be frozen and kept for about a month. Delish!