Say… hypothetically speaking… you have six dollars in your wallet and very close to zero dollars in your bank account and you need to make something for lunchdinner.
Also… you have a very daunting blank Word document in front of you that you’re supposed to fill with words and pictures and recipes and more words.
You’ve run out of people to text message as a distraction.
You can’t waste another minute of time on Twitter… you’ve tried… seriously.
You’ve exhausted your brain by imagining every combination of human and animal body part…. your favorite being a chubby, blue-eyed toddler with cocker spaniel ears. ย huh!?
Oh! ย And you found one lonely egg in your fridge. ย Hypothetically speaking of course.
So.
Q: ย What would you do with yourself?
A: ย Make cookies.
I mean… come on… it’s the only logical/delicious option.
Would it be considered an overshare if I told you that these cookies make me feel good about myself? ย They’re good for the baking self-esteem.
Well it’s true.
This jar of molasses helps. ย It’s bright and blue and reminds me of tropical vacations that I’ve never taken.
Then there’s the part when I open the oven door and a giant puff of warm spiced oven-cookie-air hits my face, and I pull of a tray of these soft, chewy, spiced, chocolate studded cookies.
Chewy cookies. ย Man. ย Instant self esteem booster in my book. ย I dunno. ย They make me feel good about my kitchen skills. ย It’s just true.
Chewy Ginger Chocolate Cookies
makes 4 dozen cookies
adapted from Big Fat Cookies
2 1/4 cups 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, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi sweet)
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough balls
Position a rack in the middle of the oven.ย Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.ย Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or just spray lightly with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking soda, spices and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.ย In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes.ย Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.ย Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light color, about 1 minute.ย On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. ย Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread the granulated sugar into a small bowl.ย Roll a heaping tablespoon 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.ย 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.ย 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.
163 Responses
I truly think this is the best cookie I’ve ever eaten! Chocolate AND gingerbread together – wow!
I hope I am writing to Joy, the lovely woman I saw when I clicked on meet Joy. I needed a ginger chocolate coookie recipe and I found this and will try it. But I really wanted to comment on the personal and fun way this recipe is written up. Gayl Gray, Boulder, CO 11/12/11
Made this with my boyfriend last night – it was cakey more than chewy, and we were wondering why it had turned out that way. We thought that maybe it’s because we made big dough balls before baking…? It was still delicious!
I just made these but I only used 2 cups of flour and added 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. I also used mini chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips and used turbinado sugar instead of granulated sugar to roll the cookies in. They were DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
The bad news is I didn’t have any granulated sugar to roll them in.
The good news is I have managed to resist eating half the biscuit dough before I baked them.
i just had a full on mouth-gasm, eyes closed, sweet, warm, gingery melt-mouth-down still-life delicious daydream… i think i will eat a full batch tonight… there goes summer dreams of looking hot in a bathing suit! they are SO yummy! do you have any suggestions on whipping up a vanilla bean cream? to make sandwiches? by the way, i omitted the chocolate, instead of cinnamon and cloves i added your pumpkin spice mix, and made them slightly bigger, baked slightly slower and less time. and did not let them cool completely. THANKS so much for all the yummmmmmy recipes! you’re a joyful star!
Just called in from My Custard Pie to get this recipe, they look really good. Many thanks for sharing, Linda x
Um, yum! I made these for a party recently and the bastards ate them ALL! Lucky for me I left a dozen at home. I ate them. All. They were perfection. Thank you!
Warning: You may eat 10 cookies in a row after making these. Which I did, on a snow day, with nothing better to do, but eat cookies. And I can not stop thinking about them. Crunchy, chewy, perfection.
Made these for part of my Christmas baking. So yummy. I think they were my 14 year old son’s favorite this year.
Made these for the office Christmas cookie swap and everyone is asking for the recipe (which of course I will share!). Thanks Joy!
It must be true, great sense of humor, delicious recipes and great photography make for a great blog. I am looking forward to keeping up with you!
So I finally got around to making these, and can I just say this?? They are DELICIOUS!!! I love them, my boyfriend loves them, my roommate loves them. She took some to school and her friend wanted to know if I’d come over from time to time and bake for him. That’s how much these rock—total strangers are asking me over!! I cooked mine for 9-10 minutes and found that was perfect. Delish!!
Does this recipe really call for 2 and 1/4 cups of flour? The cookies seemed just right at 1 and 1/4 cups, and after adding more flour, everything bombed on me. I’m quite a baker myself…..but these cookies turned out nothing like they seem they should be… They even taste very flour like
I made these two days ago for my parents. my dad say they were the best cookies he had ever tasted, and I agreed! they are perfect (and even better fresh out of the oven)
I just found your blog, and this was the first recipe that drew me in and I am totally hooked! These cookies are incredible and I can’t wait to try something else! I Love your posts, you are inspirational!
Gonna make these. I only have one egg in my fridge right now too, that’s why I’m picking this recipe :)
WOW these look amazing!
I’ve just made these cookies but they seem to be more crispy than chewy. Would you have any idea why? They’re still yummy though!
I don’t know how I’ve held out in doing any fall baking until now, but I finally broke down tonight. I had to make these! They are in the oven now and I have high hopes for them, as the dough is incredible. Oh stinkin’ yum!
I have made these twice and they are amazing. However, mine are flat like pancakes, still really yummy though. Any thoughts?
Hey Joy, Really great recipe, made these last night for everyone at work today. Love from Perth, Australia
I love these cookies!!! look amazing, gloria
This is the greatest point of contention between my hubbie and me – chewy or crispy?
I’m with you.
You had me at the title……
thank you!
Just made these last night. Soooo much better in the morning with a cup of coffee. The chocolate adds a nice touch. I ended up baking each batch for 10 MINUTES instead of 12, and they were much better. 12 made them too crispy.
Chewy
Ginger
Chocolate
Cookies
Such magic words!
Fabulous!
Hi there,
I just made a batch and they are considerably rounder and smaller than yours despite the same measurements of ingredients….I flattened the next batch with my palm but I think they’re still thicker. Is there are special trick I’m missing?
Thanks for the recipe! : )
Children loved the cookies
And the moms and the dads and the dog. Ack, the dog!!! What a waste!!! I wonder how these Ginger Cookies would taste with CHOCOLATE in them???
:)
I hope I can make these without the chocolate as I am not allowed to have caffeine right now. I want the cookies to still be chewey. Would adding an extra egg help. It does wonders for my favorite Oatmeal cookies recipe.
Thank you for all you do.
Love and Light all around!
the cookies are already chewy with the one egg they have in them. chewy for days!
and they’d be just as excellent without the chocolate. go for it!
Hi Joy,
I made these cookies Friday. For my niece.
My niece is a sweet thing. Two weeks ago, she was 27-28 years old, 8 months pregnant with her third child (a girl!) and mother of two small boys under 5. (We’re from Utah. It’s a thang.)
Niece-y decided two weekends ago early in the day to use a table saw to make a new wooden truck toy for her boys. She’d already made three nativity sets this summer using the same table saw. Surely a little truck wouldn’t hurt, right?
(Shake your head and roll your eyes at this point. Again.)
Niece-y sliced off the tip of her left thumb, her first two fingers, 90% separated her ring finger and nicked the pinky. She quickly wrapped her bleeding hand in her shirt and sent the boys next door so “they wouldn’t see Mommy bleeding.”
Then she called 9-1-1 and when they arrived, she begged to apologize for being “a wimp about the pain.” She was taken to a hospital, then helicoptered to a trauma center in SLC for reattachment surgery.
The baby “had some issues” with the whole general anesthetic thing. So they had to do a c-section. Turns out babies should not drop their heart rate during surgery. 7 pounds later, baby is fine.
So is my niece-y, but she had mentioned (on this blog: https://theadventuresoftigger.blogspot.com/2010/09/home-made-ginger-snap-predicament.html) that she wanted a ginger cookie recipe. I made yours and sent them to her. On Friday. I’m on the East Coast, so she hasn’t gotten them yet.
But thanks for having this little cookie recipe right when I needed it! She’s recoverinig well, fingers reattached, baby is great. But I didn’t get to be there. I wanted so much to do something. Thanks for providing this recipe for cookies that I could make to make my niece feel loved.
Best,
marti
oh. my. goodness! i’m glad everyone is ok and reattached and i’m so so so happy that my little cookie recipe could help you share your love. amazing.
I just made these with my 4yr. old daughter and when she tasted them she rubbed her tummy and said, “yummmmm….these are good!” Perfect for our gorgeous fall day here in New England! Thanks Joy!
Made these the very next day. They are marvelous. I left out the chocolate because my boyfriend isn’t a big fan (i know how does his world keep spinning).
Thank you! Fantastic recipe! You made me look good with my friends!
Last night I was devouring the last of a giant gingersnap my cousin brought home from the market, lamenting that no one makes chewy ginger cookies – like I love! Then today, your post…I’m speechless. One questions though: Do you think the cookies will still turn out as well, hold their shape, etc. without the chocolate? I have really strict food rules (crazy, I know) and I can’t mix chocolate with a long list of flavors – ginger included.
Sorry to desecrate your lovely recipe, but I can’t deprive myself of the amazing-looking treats.
Alanna
Thanks for the recipe Joy!! Today is my birthday. What a wonderful gift!!!
Amazing. Love ginger cookies – but adding chocolate- YUM. Made last night and they were a huge hit as I ate them off the pan and also with my co-workers. Love you Joy the Baker.
These look AMAZING!! Definitely going to have to try these!!
Parents-in-law are visiting. Made these cookies. Gold star for me.
I made these yesterday and they are delicious. Have just shared the recipe with others telling them how good they are. I will never make my regular ginger snaps again. This will be my recipe from now on.
You might be the cutest person in the whole world and you make me smile even though I don’t know you
oooo I love spice cookies!!! I’ve never had them with chocolate, so I’ll have to try that. I think I’ll also take the suggestion of another commentor and add orange zest. The perfect fall cookie!
orange zest sounds dreamy!
OMG! I just made these and added the zest of an orange! SO SO SO GOOD! Thanks for the recipe!
I think I need to make these… stat! I too, am low on cash but rich in cookie ingredients. These yummies should improve my mood a thousand times over! Baking really is therapeutic!
These are the kind of cookies that would be great to bring to gatherings! I love these!
Lonely eggs must turn into cookies, better if chewy, of course.
Never seen chocolate in ginger cookies before. They look wonderful. Thanks! Hope to try this one soon!
For some dumb reason, never thought about adding chocolate to ginger recipes. That’ll change….right. about. now. Thanks, Joy.
i love your chocolate cookies,thank you ^ ^
If you have 1 1/2 sticks of butter and chocolate chips you are still rich.
But, when you are very very poor and all you have is some flour and salt and yeast, you can still make 5 minute Artisan bread and feel like an empress.
I would make these cookies but all we have is fake vegan butter, which is a complete abomination and I hate baking with it.
one of my all time favorite “Joy” recipes! My mom just requested I make another (double) batch for her. Thanks for the reminder – I’ll get right on it! :)
Oh. My. God.
I just pulled a tray of these out of the oven, and I’m pretty sure my tongue is still lolling about my chin. Three of them have mysteriously disappeared, but I’m not gonna admit to it! Thank you again Joy, I needed something this delicious in my life!
thanks for enlightening me on the basics of dealing with that last egg. haha! those cookies of yours look awesome! (:
I usually make a regular soft ginger cookie for my christmas gift boxes but i might have to try these.:)
I say you made a wise choice.
ginger and chocolate is my second favorite combination on earth. (after peanut butter and chocolate, that is). sooo good.
i hope you soon have more than $8 in your wallet!
already on my way to having more dollars in the wallet. thanks!
Yesterday I came home after working a new job as an assistant pastry chef for 8 hours—-and decided I needed to make brownies immediately. I had been working since 3am surrounded by baked goods—did I really need to eat brownie batter? yes. Baking makes you feel like you accomplished something awesome- which you do—and this food blog makes me want to try a billion new recipes—-thanks for being an inspiration to home bakers:)
sounds like a rad new job!!
Sounds like a great combination.
Oh my, I think I have done the same thing as you a time or two…6 bucks left and what do I buy…ingredients to bake something! Ha Ha! Well, I wouldn’t let my family starve or anything, so there would usually have been some pasta and sauce hanging around for dinner!
I love gingersnaps and this recipe reminds me of them. I am very interested in the chocolate part too! So, I will definately give these a whirl. Thanks!
Hey if I could I would send you some eggs…. I usually buy a 5 dozen pack at a time! One of these days they will find a way to transport stuff! LoL…. so until then…. I guess you just need to save your pennies and cook what you can! Your cookies look great! My DH has a bit of a hard time with molasses though…. so I would have to do it half molas. and half honey! It works!
First of all, you should know that I will be making these PRONTO!
Second, why don’t you just write about these? Two birds with one stone? Yes, I think so.
yeah…..cookies always make me feel good too…they are easy to perfect, and people love you for making them! Ginger cookie smell + my house= the best warm fuzzy feelings ever…
The ginger/chocolate combo is new..I’ll certainly have to give it a whirl..
Cathy B. @ brightbakes
i love the cookie/self esteem connection. woohoo!
Back again – to say I made them and they’re going down a treat. My kind of biscuits…sorry cookies.
i’m so glad you like them!
Yes…these cookies are very good. This is the first recipe from your blog that I have made, and thanks to google I was able to work out how much a stick of butter is in grams. I love the internet and chewy cookies! Thank you from down under in New Zealand.
amazing! New Zealand is so far away from where i am. the internet kicks ass.
I made these cookies last night with my five-year-old. Yes, I’m having cookies for breakfast. Why do you ask? These are wonderful!
thy look so good,.
They look like the kind of cookies I need to help me got hrough all those academic books I have to read…
I think we must live in a texting and twitter procrastinating parallel universes, with exactly the same process for writing recipes – except you actually make the ones I like to drool over. These could quite possibly be my favorites yet!
Now, when you imagine people and animal parts again, may I please have the animal parts that can scarf all your goodies down without having to slave away in a gym to keep from exploding into the fat lady at the fair?
Ha Ha Ha!!! It’s after midnight – I have to make a presentation in 11 hours to my supervisor and fellow doctoral candidates on the metaphor of the baby as described by Freud’s drive theory versus the relational model (blah-blah-blah) – I am looking at a blank word document – I have updated my facebook profile 3 times tonight – I have cleaned the litter box – I have hand laundered all my bras – I have cruised match.com – and…..I am reading about making cookies. I love ginger and chocolate together, but have you ever tried mixing in peel from an orange? The trifecta of flavors! Thanks, Joy, for the diversion and the fantasy about making cookies rather than writing.
YES! I’m doing the same thing right now… only the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head is a prospectus for an so I can graduate with honors. But in any case, I’m making cookies rather than writing. This is totally healthy, right? Cookies beat out 12th century theories of marriage…
your photos are so pretty! =)
Hm, when it says ground ginger and cloves… that means the powdered form, right? What if I don’t have those? Can I replace it with 1 tsp fresh minced ginger and grind up some dried cloves? Definitely looks delish.
I’ve got all these things in my cupboard. Just the thing to make for my teens when they come home from school today. They work hard and deserve a treat.
omg. i just made these.
they’re AWESOME
What a great cookie for the holidays…I’m going to make them just to get compliments on my baking skills and make me feel good about myself!
I’m not a fan of chewy cookies but this is something that I can make into a gift for friends who love chewy cookies. Thanks for sharing!
These look delicious. Can’t wait to make ’em with my 4-year old!
Chewy Ginger Chocolate Cookies are the perfect thing to do with an egg, six dollars, and one’s self!
These look awesome! And I just noticed how your blog changed to reflect the season :) I love it.
You are on to something with the chewy-cookies-help-self-esteem. Been there. It’s true. These look fantastic.
We are definitely on the same wavelength – I just made a similar version of these cookies last week, and they were fantastic. I usually get sick of cookies after eating 3 or 4 (or sometimes 5), but I really could eat an entire batch of these chewy chocolate ginger cookies. Mmmm…
I think I need to go bake now.
These look heavenly! Ginger is a fall favorite, right after pumpkin of course ;)
With love and cupcakes,
Cookteen
my favorite combo…ginger and chocolate…yummy
you’re just awesome!!!!
yay is it christmas yet? i love the spicy ‘warmth’ ginger cookies bring to my home whenever i bake them.
Beautiful pics. Beautiful writing. Beautiful recipe. Beautiful Joy. Thank you for posting this!
Love them! Chewy is the right thing!
I’m staring at a daunting blank word document myself right now. Perhaps I need to bake cookies…. those look wonderful.
Ginger AND chocolate? Two of my favourite things and I never thought to combine them. Joy, you light up my life.
I am a sucker for ginger cookies but I have never thought to add chocolate. When I have a free moment I will have to add to my list of must makes! I understand the lack of money conundrum and these cookies sound like a great mood lifter!
I love your lead photo. Very well done and absolutely mouthwatering!
ooh clay! i crazy love your blog! thank you!
wow, that first photo is absolutely gorgeous. how did you take it? Was it just by a window? with a macro lens? so beautiful!
100 macro lens. by the window and my cookie stack fell over.
These are great… I make them every year at Christmas!
mmm chocolate and ginger… sounds like a fantastic combo. and chewy too? just heavenly.
Yummy…great post. Note to Joy and readers, if you have a sulfite allergy, make sure you always buy unsulfured molasses. Even rolling the dough in your hands can cause a reaction, believe me I know. Most molasses is unsulfured, so you’re safe, but word to the wise… Off to get my mixing bowl!
Despite hoe I feel about my stomach him morning, I want these cookies. These are my next cookie project, for sure.
Fantastic cookies! That is an awesome combo. I love your seasonal header…
Cheers,
Rosa
love choco and ginger together! and of course, molasses makes my day :).
These are THE answer to my fall cookie cravings.
Sometimes cookies are the answer to a desperate situation. I baked my way through a masters thesis by retreating to the kitchen every time I was stuck.
These look so good! I think the cookie on the cover of Martha Stewart’s cookie book is actually this kind, which has always been tempting. Will have to compare the recipes!
I hear you about the bank account issue…I’m scared to look at mine. :(
Ginger cookies make me happy.. I’m going to have to try your recipe!
Mmm, I love a good, chewy cookie. These look marvelous! Thanks for sharing, Joy. So glad to hear you’re feeling better and getting back to baking.
Why in the world would you post this? I just single handedly finished the ENTIRE batch of chewy ginger cookies that I made with your recipe last tuesday. (that’s good personal restraint, right?) And I was so relieved that they were finally gone and no longer sitting on the counter calling to me every time I walked by, and then you go ahead and post this. Gah! I just bought skinny pants! This is not helping! :)
I can totally relate to the hypothetical situation up here. I love that I have all these ingredients in the house, right now! Although my molasses is not in a cool blue labeled bottle, it’s in a grandma labeled bottle.
Can’t wait to try this recipe…a great cookie for Fall!
Joy! its freakkkyy!! i made almost the exact same recipe last night! but I found the cookie hard to roll into balls..ended up using a small teaspoon instead…and even though the cookies turned out abit flat..they still ended up in my tummy (like they were supposed to!)
I agree with Vicky B above! If there’s a cookbook I’d buy that would be yours! Love the combination, thanks for this ;)
-Amalia
https://buttersweetmelody.wordpress.com
P.S. I’m so making these cookies today. And why do you only have eight dollars? Why aren’t publishers beating down your door with a cookbook offer advance? And cute merchandising endorsement offers? We need some JoyTheBaker aprons. You could do a book with your funny one liners alone.
sometimes it happens that you only have eight dollars. i dunno. it just happens.
Oh, believe me, I understand about the eight dollars. But seriously, hasn’t anyone approached you about a cookbook? If not, that’s gotta get fixed ASAP. You are seriously talented. I’m gonna email you.
“Itโs bright and blue and reminds me of tropical vacations that Iโve never taken.” You are so dang funny!
I mean, it’s Monday morning, I have to go wash dishes before everyone else wakes up and morning madness begins, and this just made me laugh! It must be wonderful to have baking skills to count on. Baking is hard for me and makes my brain hurt. Seriously. Which ever side of the brain is logic oriented, I’m on the other side. Teaching kids who are failing reading makes my heart sing. It’s the only thing I’m good at.
I am not usually a chewy cookie fan. I’m a cruncy crispy girl. But my husband loves chewy abd chocolate and ginger so maybe ill be a nice wife and make these!
I’m pretty sure I need to make these ASAP because I’ve been eating a packaged version of this all week. Make something that I’ve been eating so I can eat more? Of course!
so glad you’re feeling better and back in the kitchen :)
thanks robyn!
Mmmm! These might be even better than the ones that my grandma used to make – because these have chocolate in them!
Just the thing to warm up the apartment with. :)
We love that book!! It’s fabulous. And has a fabulous title. And is full of fabulous fat cookies. And seriously, we’ve been trying so hard to avoid ginger since once we get started we kind of won’t stop until January…but after seeing these…we might not be able to resist any longer.
Chocolate and ginger sounds so delicious paired together! I will definitely have to try this one. Thanks for sharing :-)
I’ve just discovered molasses! I can imagine they make an uber chewy cookie – I just adore ginger too:) Another winner!
Chocolate and ginger sounds like such a unique combination! I have a birthday cake cookbook that my husband picks his birthday cake out from each year, and last year he requested the recipe for Gingerbread Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Frosting. I can’t lie: I teased him mercilessly for choosing such a weird combo. But it did end up to be a tasty recipe! I have no doubt he’ll be begging for your cookie recipe as soon as he sees it :)
Have a great week!
I have the same recipe (without the chocolate) for sooo long ; I make them once a while, but they never last long around here…. Will have to try to add chocolate, see if it last less longer ! :)
It’s funny that I made almost the exact same recipe last night!
That first photo is my fave — so lovely!! I’ll take a few of these, please :)
I’ve been in that same bank account situation recently. No fun!
This pretty much made me instantly think of fall and Christmas – yes, I realize those are not simultaneous seasons/holidays – and I wished I lived somewhere it snowed.
They’re so perfect for grey weather. Thanks!
Ginger chocolate sounds like a fabulous combination!
cookies are really always the solution:-)
I LOVE Ginger cookies – am so going to try this recipe!
Nice cookies – love the chocolate bits. And I can’t think of a better way to boost self esteem either.
Yeah I agree – making cookies always makes me feel good too. Except for when I screw them up lol! Nice lookin recipe :) Love ginger cookies…
The very thing I wanted to have, Joy you’re a genius, did you read my mind?
Thank you!
I love reading your posts before bedtime! Like dreamy goodnight stories :) I hope I dream about chewy ginger chocolate cookies tonight…