Pre-Thanksgiving Ginger Cookies

Ranch-Malibu-Ranch - where am I? Back in the 'Bu this week. And getting ready for my favorite holiday of the year Thanksgiving. Just about friends, family and food. Nothing better than that. All my children will be here with their friends and my in-laws and of course my FRT(favorite recipe tester). I am developing a new pie recipe which I will share with you later - (Ginger Sweet Potato Marshmallow Pie) when I found myself fresh out of ginger snaps. So I look in my cupboard and realized I had the goods to make my own. Now these are not so crunchy as a snap but have a little more crunch than a cookie. Call them what you will I think you will enjoy them.

Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies

Based on a recipe at Epicurious.com

Yield: Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour-divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

1 large egg

1/4 cup crystallized ginger bits

1/4 cup granulated sugar

 

Stir together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and spices into a large bowl. Melt butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk until all is melted. Stir in molasses and egg then add butter mixture to flour mixture with until combined. With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour and crystallized ginger bits until combined. Dough will be sticky.

 Chill dough, covered, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days

.

Preheat oven to 350°F. and spray baking sheets with cooking spray.

Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls and then roll in a small bowl of ¼ cup granulated sugar to coat.

Arrange balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. If you like you can flatten slightly with the back of a fork. Bake in middle of oven until cookies spread and look a shade darker, 10 to 12 minutes. 

(Cookies will be covered with little cracks.)Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes then transfer with a spatula to

racks to cool completely