Ginger Spice & Everything Nice Cookies

When I returned home (sadly) on Monday from my week with my grandson, Ari, I had The Baking Sheet from King Arthur Flour awaiting me.  The first thing that caught my eye was these Ginger Spice Cookies and I thought I would share them...because you just can't have enough ginger cookie recipes : )

Kelly's favorite (and mine) are the Giant Gingerbread Cookies I made in May, but these are a very close second in flavor and comfort for those snowy, cold days hitting much of the United States.  Even I came home to snow Monday evening, but nothing like New England faced with two feet or more, and ours has melted with temperatures in the 50s.  However, this is a great recipe to add to your cookie file and would be even better made with your kids.

Ginger Spice Cookies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup crystallized ginger 
 2 1/4 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon (I added this, it wasn't in the original)
1/2 cup Sparkling Sugar Crystals 

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat.
In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and molasses, blending well.  Add the dry ingredients; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix in the crystallized ginger.  Chill dough for 10 -15 minutes or even overnight.

Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with tablespoon scoop and roll in Sparkling Sugar Crystals.

Place the balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and set.  Mine baked for exactly 11 minutes, so I suggest you set your oven timer for 10 minutes to check for doneness, adding more time if needed.

Let cool about 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.   The recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies.  


One of the games I played with Ari was "Dinosaur" because he received a very precious gift from Heidi Witte (humbleluna@gmail.com) of a dinosaur tail.  

It was cold and snowy outside, but feeding my little dinosaur became such a wonderful game and I know he would have loved these cookies.  Make Believe and Baking just seem to go together when you're snowed in with your kids!  Enjoy!