The cookie jar was empty.
Sooo I made some cookies. Don't fall out of your chair or anything.
Thing is, I made these cookies Wednesday. Today is Thursday, and there are no more cookies to be had.
A good sign, eh?
Molasses is a grandma ingredient. Putting it into cookies is not just a grandma thing.
Your whole house will smell like molasses and ginger, how could you not want this?
Also, there's definitely chocolate involved. Seriously, there's nothing like chocolate chips to kick up any texture a notch or two. Because at first you're like, "Oh, ginger cookies. Fun. Merry Christmas?"
Then you eat one. And you're like, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO MY LIFE?"
You think I'm exaggerating? 'Kay fine. More for me.
However, let me lay out a few things for you to consider.
When's the last time you made cookies? What's your fridge situation right now? What's that, you've only got 1 egg, and there's 1 1/2 sticks of butter that's been staring at you from the counter all day? And there's a crapload of spices and brown sugar in your pantry? You've only got a handful of chocolate chunks that you don't want to guiltily just straight up stuff in your face?
Do I really need to twist your arm?
You telling me you don't want chewy, spicy, chocolate-studded cookies that will take up maybe 40 minutes of your sad life?
I didn't think so.
Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on how heaping you make your tablespoonfuls of dough
Ingredients:
- 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 the dough in
Directions:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 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. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down 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 until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread the granulated sugar into a small bowl. 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. Continue making cookies, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, until the tops feel set 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 transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sources: Joy the Baker, originally adapted from Big Fat Cookies
