Chocolate Kissed Ginger Cookies

Soft, chewy, chocolaty, and spicy. If you like that combination then you will love these cookies.

Chocolate Kissed Ginger Cookies

     from Becky Bakes

     **dough must chill in the refrigerator for 3+ hours or overnight

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1½ unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Granulated sugar
Semisweet, bittersweet and/or dark chocolate disks
Unsalted butter

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Sifting

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Mix together, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. In three parts add in the dry ingredients. Stopping the mixer when the last of the dry ingredients has been combined.

Cover dough and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a small ice cream scoop or your hands, create small balls of dough and roll them in the sugar, coating entirely. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should appear set but not firm. 

As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, use the back of a teaspoon to create a well in the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

Using a double boiler, melt ≈ ⅓-½ cup semisweet, bittersweet, and/or dark chocolate. Add 2 tbsp of butter, cut into pieces, to the chocolate, stirring constantly. You do not want the chocolate to burn. Once the chocolate is melted remove from heat and stir for 4-5 minutes. If the chocolate is dull looking, add another tbsp of butter and stir. The butter not only helps the consistency but also adds shine. You want shiny chocolate.

Use a spoon to fill the cookie wells with chocolate. Let cool completely.

The cookies will be spicy and chewy and the chocolate will be soft and rich. Yum.