Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: Soft Ginger Cookies

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If you could capture the essence of Christmas in a cookie, this is it.  I make these delicious gems every Christmas and they don’t last long in my house;  I will abstain from admitting who eats most of them.  *ahem*  But once your kitchen is filled with the wonderful aroma of these cookies, you’ll have a hard time waiting for them to cool before eating one. 

 

Welcome to Part 5 of my 10-Part series on our family's favorite Christmas Traditions.  These cookies are simple to make and can be easily *healthified* by using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and honey or maple syrup can be substituted for the sugar.  Either way, they are delicious and incorporate all the wonderful spices of Christmas.  If you’re feeling extra-froggy, you can make a simple powdered sugar icing to drizzle over them and they will not only look extra-festive, but have a nice added boost of sweetness.  What’s really great about this recipe is that they stay soft.  I’m not a fan of crunchy cookies, so these are just perfect: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Makes about 2 dozen

2 ¼ C. Flour (I’ve successfully used both AP and Whole Wheat)

2 tsp.  Ground Ginger

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

½ tsp. Ground Cloves

¼ tsp. Salt

¾ C. Butter (softened)

1C. Sugar (or sweetener of your choice such as honey)

1 Egg

1 Tbsp. Water

1/4 C. Molasses

2 Tbsp. Sugar

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Set aside.

In a Large bowl, cream the butter and 1C. sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and stir in water and molasses.  Gradually, stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.

Shape dough into walnut-sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2Tbs. of sugar.  Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto and ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Do not overbake, they will appear slightly under-done when you pull them out of the oven.  Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container. 

What are your favorite Christmas Cookie recipes? Feel free to include a link in the comments! J


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