Description
This recipe for Big Soft Ginger Cookies captures the warm, cozy feeling of the holidays. These cookies are wonderfully chewy and soft, with a perfect balance of warm spices. Deeply flavored with molasses and fragrant with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, they feature a delightfully crackled, sugar-coated top.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix the Wet and Dry Ingredients:
Beat the egg into the creamed mixture, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.
Shape and Roll the Cookies:
Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls and roll each ball in the sugar until completely coated.
Bake to Perfection:
Place the sugar-coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are crackled. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For the Softest Texture:
To ensure the cookies stay wonderfully soft and chewy, do not overbake them. Pull them from the oven when they still look slightly puffy and underdone in the center; they will finish baking on the hot cookie sheet.
Make-Ahead Dough:
The cookie dough can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months; let them thaw slightly before rolling in sugar and baking.
“Triple Ginger” Variation:
For an extra pop of spicy flavor, add finely chopped crystallized ginger or a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to the dough.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert, Cookie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 134
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 98mg
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 18mg
Keywords: ginger cookies, soft ginger cookies, molasses cookies, chewy cookies, holiday baking, spice cookies