Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

Recipe Update:  I made these cookies because I used up all of my molasses on perfecting the 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich bread and couldn’t make our chewy gingerbread men.  It was a happy accident because these were delicious!  They remind me of the big, soft cookies in that red package at the store.. but without the artificial taste afterwards.  Just a fantastic chewy cookie with gingerbread flavor.  I liked them warm and out of the oven.  After 10 minutes, the outside is slightly crispy and inside chewy… it was okay.  After a few hours, they were GREAT.  Soft and chewy just like it says.

The icing is optional of course.  Coarse sugar like turbinado or decorating sugar would be great to roll the cookies in for some texture and color.

Our new kitten, Oreo, likes the cookies, too!

Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
yield 2-3 dozen

2 and 1/4 cups (11.5 oz.) AP flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar (all white or 1/2 white and 1/2 brown)
1 egg
1 Tb. water or orange juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar, turbinado sugar, or decorator’s sugar

1.  In a medium bowl, sift the dry stuff:  flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
2.  In a great big bowl, beat the butter and sugar (or sugars) until fluffy.  About 1-2 minutes.
3.  Add egg.  Scrape bowl and beat until combined.
4.  Add water (or orange juice) and molasses.
5.  Add dry ingredients little by little.
6.  Refridgerate the dough for 1-2 hours.
7.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop dough into 1-2 Tablespoon balls – however large you want to make the cookies.  Roll in sugar.  Set about 2″ apart as they will spread.
8.  Take a glass or other flat surface and flatten each cookie ball slightly.  Until they are about 1/4″ thick.
9.  Bake 8 minutes.  Center will be set and the cookie will begin to crack a little in the middle.
10.  Cool.  Then, remove and cool on cooling rack.
11.  For optional icing:  take 1 cup of powdered sugar and thin it with lemon juice.  I mix just enough liquid in that the icing has the consistency of honey.  Put into a ziplock bag, cut off one corner of the bag and ice cookies.

Recipe from AllRecipes