Double Trouble Ginger Cookies

The tree outside my bedroom window is turning a golden red as we move past the halfway point of September. This glorious hue is often called "ginger" and reminds me of golden retrievers and freckle-faced red heads. Not actually the colour of ginger root, it carries the same warmth and could explain why I woke up thinking about cookies. Ginger cookies. Chewy, home baked ginger cookies. By the panload.

These are a variation of a classic soft ginger cookie with a beautifully crinkly top and a texture no store bought brand can replicate. Be warned -- It's from the bet-you-can't-eat-just-one school and your waist line will be in peril. I've been keeping track and the fewest ever consumed at one sitting was four.

Double Trouble Ginger Cookies
Printable recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, minced
• grated rind of 1 orange (optional)
  
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Beat in eggs and molasses.
3. Mix remaining ingredients together to distribute spices evenly.
4. Blend flour mixture into the batter.
5. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and place 2" apart of cookies sheet (they spread). If you want to get fancy, dip one side of rolled cookie in sugar and place a chunk of crystallized ginger on top.
   
6. Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cookies should be slightly undercooked as they'll continue to bake once removed from the oven.
   
7. Serve with hot apple cider or mandarin spice tea.