Ginger Cookies

Do you like soft ginger cookies? If you do, you will LOVE this recipe.

I first tasted these several years ago when a co-worker brought some into work. We ALL thought they were just the best and everyone wanted the recipe. The original recipe was printed in the November 1998 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Big, soft and chewy with the perfect amount of ginger -- they are wonderful. I threw all my other ginger cookie recipes away and have only used this one since. .

You'll need molasses, ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves, and raw sugar. The dough balls are rolled in the raw sugar before baking and this is what really gives them that cracked appearance and crunchy texture. *If you don't have raw sugar, regular granulated sugar works too.

Giant Ginger Cookies
Yield ~25 cookies

4-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp. ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/2 cups shortening (Don't substitute butter or the cookie will be flat and hard.)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
raw sugar to roll dough balls in

Preheat oven to 350-F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat shortening for 30 seconds.  Add the 2 cups sugar; beat until combined.  Beat in the eggs and molasses until combined.  Beat in half of the flour mixture.  Stir in the remaining flour mixture.

Using a 2 inch cookie scoop*, shape dough into 2-inch balls; roll in the raw sugar.  Place balls 2-1/2 inches part on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake ~12 min. until puffed and lightly brown. Do not overbake or cookies will not be chewy.

Remove from oven and cool cookies on wire rack.

*If you use a smaller cookie scoop, just don't bake the cookies as long.

Happy Baking!