Double Ginger Chews

Ginger cookie might seem like more of a Christmas cookie, but I think they should be enjoyed all year round.  For the longest time, these Ginger Cookies were a favorite, escecially with David, but I wanted to try a different version to find out his thoughts.  I thought they would be similar, but it turns out that they are quite different.  The Williams Sonoma version is more like a basic cookie with a strong ginger flavor, but these were more like traditional ginger snaps.  They had a very strong and sweet ginger flavor.  They were fairly thin cookies, but they were very soft and chewy.  I know a lot of people who like ginger cookies, and they were a big hit.  You have to be careful not to make these too large, because they can be hard to handle.  About a tablespoon of dough per cookie is perfect.  Be sure to not crowd the cookies on the baking sheet because they do spread a bit.  They were incredibly easy to make and didn’t even require a mixer.  I think these would make great sandwich cookies as well- you could use so many things as the filling- ginger or cinnamon buttercream, cream cheese frosting, ginger ice cream- and so many other combinations, I’m sure.  This was a wonderful ginger cookie- soft, chewy, and full of flavor.

Double Ginger Chews
Source: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 large egg

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Pour the butter into a medium bowl and add both sugars and the molasses.  Beat the mixture to combine, using a wire whisk or a handheld mixer on medium speed.  Add the egg and whisk or beat vigorously.  Add the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, stirring until combined.  Sitr in the crystallized ginger.

Use a 1 ¼ -inch-diameter scoop to drop generous tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.  (The cookies will spread).  Bake for 7 to 9 minutes.  The cookies will puff up in the oven and flatten when cooled.  Remove them from the oven when the edges are just a little more browned than the middles.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.  They’ll keep for 1 month in the freezer if tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap.