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Thursday, December 12, 2024

CHEWY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES for the Holidays!


Today is Gingerbread House Day. I love to build Gingerbread Houses, and I incorporated this activity into the offerings of my team building company, TeamBuilding Unlimited. Keeping with the Gingerbread theme, here's a recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. My favorite Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie recipe is Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. What really makes this recipe and the final results so great is the use of fresh ground ginger! These cookies should be a staple on your Christmas cookie list.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients
7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (the type you use will affect taste)
1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolve in 1 1/2 tsp boiling water)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions
Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside. In medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours (3 hours to overnight is better)
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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