Chewy Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one of my top 5 favorite cookies.  They are easy to make, look pretty and have a hint of ginger flavor to go with the semi-sweet chocolate.  You would think the flavor combination wouldn’t work well, but it’s the best.  I made these because they were on the cover of Martha Stewart’s Cookies book.  It is something you don’t try or see every day and I think that makes them more special.  The dough freezes well even after I put it through the sugar coating.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
yield 24 cookies

7 oz. semisweet chocolate (the best you can find or semisweet chocolate chips you have on hand will work too)
1 and 1/2 cups + 1Tbs. AP flour
1 and 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbs. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I use Ghiradelli’s.  Hershey can work too)
8 Tb (1 stick; 1/4 lb.)  unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tbs. freshly grated ginger (it is in the produce section.  any leftover can be stored in the freezer.  peel the part you will grate first)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfered molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp. boiling water (I do this in my electric kettle)
1/4 cup sugar (for dipping)

1.  Chop the chocolate into small chunks if you are not using chips.   Sift the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa powder in another bowl.

2.  With the electric mixer and paddle attachment, beat the butter and grated ginger on medium for about 4 minutes.  (The original says until whitened and I’m pretty sure I never beat it this long, but that is up to you.)  Add dark brown sugar and beat until incorporated.  Add molasses and beat until incorporated.

3.  In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and boiling water together until dissolved.  Add half of the sifted flour mixture into the electric mixing bowl.  Beat until combined.  Add the baking soda water and incorporate.  Beat the rest of the flour mixture into the dough.  Add chopped chocolate or chocolate chips on low or by hand.

4.  Take out the cookie dough and place it on a large piece of plastic wrap.  Shape it into a disk about 1″ thick.  Put in the fridge for 2 hours or more (until firmed up).

5.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees if not freezing the cookie dough balls.  I use my medium cookie scoop (1.5 Tbs.) to form the balls of cookie dough.  Roll each ball into the 1/4 cup of sugar.   Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or just until they start cracking.  Cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.  Eat while warm.  I prefer them completely cool in order to get the chewy cookie texture and the chunky cookie dough texture all in one bite.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cookies

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