To Do: Thursday 11.6.08
-Scowl at 6:30 am alarm clock.
-Randomly hit night stand in search of snooze button.
-Search the bed for warmth, find it, snuggle hardcore.
-Force self out of bed. Write. Seriously. Write something.
-Um…. snuggle more. It’s not a crime.
-Dress. Aroma Cafe. Tea. Breakfast. Dreamy.
-Write, seriously, you have to write.
-Jump on the bed.
-Make Sugar Crusted Ginger Cookies- eat a great deal of the dough.
-Watch Foodproof videos.
-Snuggle more. For your health.
-Think about showering.
-Shower.
-Discuss cheese. Make cheese look pretty.
-Bourbon. Drink some.
-Bed. Snuggle. Prepare to scowl at forthcoming early alarm clock.
Sugar Crusted Ginger Chewies
from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
about 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and spices until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light color, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.
Spread the turbinado sugar into a small bowl. Roll 2 Tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands into a ball, toss the ball in sugar to coat and place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue making cookies, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 12-14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Leila
These are one of my go-to holiday cookies for the last 5+ years. They are delicious, easy to make (even years ago as a new 20-something baker!) and make your house smell like magic! I do add 2T of cocoa powder and about a cup of chopped candied ginger for a little extra zip! Your blog is one of my favorites – thank you, Joy :)
Kelly
I’m making these right now for an annual gals’ Festivus party tonight – OHMIGOD they’re making my kitchen smell so good!!!! At the risk of jumping the gun before I actually eat one – thanks for a great recipe.
Melody
Hello! I’m a huge fan of your site, not only are the recipes I’ve tried amazing but the photos and tips are also lovely! I made these today and they taste and smell great but I had my egg and butter at room temperature but my cookies didn’t crack, is there any reason why this would have happened?
Alison
Sure you posted this cookie recipe 4 years ago, but I thought you might want to know that I picked it for our one new Christmas cookie recipe this year. This little unassuming cookie has taken over as the new favorite — over Babbo bittersweet chocolate cookies and butter cookies with crystallized ginger and toffee. Toffee! So thanks for the gift of cookies. Happy holidays!
Isabella LANDERS
I made these… they are delish…..why are they flat??
Devin
I’ve made these and several other of your recipes on your blog and I love them!
These cookies are delicious, I ran out of all my molasses in two days because people kept asking me to make more. Mine come out more of a light brown (I think it’s the molasses, I’m using Grandma’s instead of Brer Rabbit) but they are soooooo good!
Thanks so much!
Devin C.
Maggie
Call me a creepster. I have been recipe stalking this website the entire day after I stumbled across it this morning. I just made these and they are so freaking delicious. like an explosion of happiness in my mouth. i. love. this. blog.
Michelle
I made these into ice cream sandwiches with homemade lemon ice cream. Out of this world.
Iris
These were really easy to make, I followed the recipe except for fresh ginger instead of ground. It’s a mix between gingerbread and molasses cookies! real quick to put together, and the dough is easy to mix. I made a batch (21 cookies) to send to my mom for her birthday in a nice tin box – my BF was sorry there weren’t more that didn’t fit in the box, lol!
beth
love it! bourbon. drink some. Pour one out for my homies!!
Kim
These have to be my all time favorite holiday cookie. I swear by Lee Bailey’s recipe for Molasses Cookies, from his cookbook “Country Desserts” (a fantastic old school cookbook). His secret to a good Molasses cookie, balck pepper. It gives the cookies a little kick of spice. Soooo good!
Stacy
These are so incredibly perfect. My favorite kind of cookie when I was a kid. Oddly enough, we didn’t have any ground ginger on hand when I wanted to make them, but we had fresh. The reverse is usually the case in our house. So we used about one tablespoon of fresh grated ginger to one teaspoon of dried ground, accordingly to conversions we found online. Worked great. They came out so beautifully light and fluffy but with the crunch of the sugar. I am already certain that we did not make enough and they will all be gone by sundown.
Karen in MTL
Just popping in to say I made these cookies tonight and they are to die for! The smell in kitchen while these were baking was amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!
Julie
My husband has declared these his “favorite winter cookies ever.” I have made 5 batches of these in the last 2 weeks. Thank you for sharing such a fantastic recipe!
Graeme
Sounds like an OK day to me, lol.
Great-looking cookies, and how cool is that bottle?
Jaina
I love being snuggled all warm and cozy in bed. I loathe my alarm clock on those days.
bjjj
joy u are soooooooooo funny really u always make me laugh! great post.
Michael
So I read your post while I was at work yesterday and knew how I’d be spending my Friday night.
They taste fantastic!
But for some reason my cookies came out flat. Got any clues why this might have happened? Anyone?
Could my baking soda be bad? Does it even go bad?
I had one with my tea this morning, so I’m not worried about them going to waste. Just wish they looked at pretty as yours.
Thanks for the post. I’m definitely going to try again. And if i can figure out the secret, these will probably be my office and friends Christmas gifts this year.
Beth
Wow, those look amazing! I love the big granules of sugar, I should try that sometime. I made some ginger cookies too that seem similar, though your picture says more than a thousand words! ;)
http://twoalmostmavens.blogspot.com/2008/10/grammys-ginger-cookies.html
Cassie
Your recipe is very similar to my molasses cookie recipe. They are addicting! YUM!
Andrea
Why is writing such torture sometimes? I’ve been trying to make some headway on a seminar paper all day long and it is just so painful. A handful of these cookies would make it a lot better!
cindy
i’ve been looking for chewy ginger cookies and these look pretty much perfect!
Tim
Thanks. This recipe comes close to the cookies my grandmother used to make. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get the recipe from her before she passed away, but your recipe pretty much hits the mark. I love your website!
Mrs. L
Though gingerbread day is coming up, I think I may have to make some ginger cookies instead! These look so tasty!
EB
I make a very similar cookie but mine feature little peppermint pieces. Can I go back to bed now?
Cakespy
Wait, is that one of those tricksy cookie jars designed so you can only take one at a time? For shame. (kidding!).
Sounds like a pretty sweet day though :-)
Jodie
Not a bad day. I’ll take it!
robin @ caviar and codfish
I just love sparkly cookies!! (And jumping on the bed!)
Vibi
Mmm-mmm… Boy how I wish the net came with odorama!!! I can almost smell all that goodness!
Laura
Yum-yum-yum! I want these now with a big mug of hot cocoa. I bet you have tons of friends… and they call… just to find out… what you BAKED today! :)
Diane
My husband loves ginger cookies. I can’t wait to try these for him and if they’re a hit, they’ll be in our Christmas gift baskets this year.
Thanks!
Blushing Hostess
I love a ginger cookie! Tastes great and makes the house smell dreamy! And your post is a joy too… Be well! The Hostess
Erin
These look beautiful! I love ginger cookies!
cyndi
You showered & made cookies – I’d call that a successful day! There’s nothing wrong with snuggling, eating large quantities of cookie dough and drinking some bourbon, is there? If so, I’m in trouble :-)
Thanks for always brightening my day with your posts!
Erin
I totally checked that book out of the library, drooled over it, and then didn’t make a single cookie! Thanks for making these!
Amanda
I like the “eat more cookie dough” part. That’s how I roll!
Lucy
Snuggling is good :) As are those cookies!! x
Evan
I love your pictures! And will have to try these cookies. Question about cookies: my husband likes hard and chewy cookies (not crunchy) but I just don’t know how to make them like that. They are either slightly undercooked and soft and chewy when they cool (that’s how I dig them) or cooked longer and hard and crunchy. What do I do? Would bread flour work? Sigh…