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Christmas: Ultimate Ginger Cookie

Source of Recipe

From "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten


Recipe Introduction

"I feel as though I've been on a lifelong quest for the perfect ginger cookie but I'm often disappointed. I finally decided to tackle them and came up with this cookie that's crisp outside, moist inside, and filled with crystallized ginger. I like these best the day they're baked, so I'll refrigerate the dough in balls and bake them whenever I need them."

List of Ingredients

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• â…“ cup unsulfered molasses
• 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)
• Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with two spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1¾-inch ball and flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in the granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 16 cookies.



• You want the dry crystallized ginger, not the wet one.