Ginger Cookies

It officially feels like autumn in San Francisco. 

The light has changed, leaves are changing color, and the time for snuggling up with a coffee, book or movie, and a cookie has finally arrived. What cookie better suits this time of year than the ginger cookie? 

Ginger Cookies

     from The Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

2¼ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg, at room temperature

1¼ cups crystallized ginger, chopped

Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly spray with PAM.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Gently whisk together.

Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Then turn mixer down to low, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat again for 1 minute.

With the mixer still on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just fully incorporated. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with a small ice cream scoop, roll each cookie in a small bowl of sugar, transfer to cookie sheet, and gently press down.

Bake for 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let them cool on the sheet for 1-2 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Grab a couple cookies, a hot drink, a blanket, and settle in for a cozy afternoon treat.