CHOCOLATE GINGERSNAPS: Gingerbread Cookie Day

Today is National Gingersnap Day! I love Gingersnaps--or Ginger Snaps, as some spell it! Although they're usually associated with the holidays, they're fabulous all year round. They're also a very versatile cookie, and I often crush them up, add a bit of melted butter, and use them as a crust for various pies, especially chocolate silk pie. If you end up making these gingersnaps bigger, you can also use them for the cookies in a Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich! And, since Fourth of July is this weekend, you might want to do just that!

So here's a great easy Chocolate Gingersnap Cookie Recipe (adapted from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook via About.com Home Cooking) that uses both fresh and ground ginger and cocoa and chopped dark chocolate! How can you go wrong?

Tip: If you haven't used these dried spices since the holidays, you might want to check their freshness. They do have a shelf-life, and it would be sad to ruin these delicious cookies with 'stale' ingredients.

CHOCOLATE GINGERSNAPS

Ingredients
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp Dark cocoa
1-1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
7 ounces high quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar

Directions
In large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, water and minced fresh ginger.
Combine flour, cocoa, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until easy to handle.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheets.
Bake cookies at 350 F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES: National Gingerbread Cookie Day

Today is National Gingerbread Cookie Day! I usually think of Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas, but since it's today's food holiday, I'm making Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. I guess they're great for Thanksgiving, too. My favorite recipe for these Gingerbread Cookies 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.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES: National Gingerbread Cookie Day

Today is National Gingerbread Cookie Day! I usually think of Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas, but since it's today's holiday, I'm making Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. I guess they're great for Thanksgiving, too. My favorite recipe for these Gingerbread Cookies 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 bea 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.