Three Way Ginger Cookies

If you love ginger you will love these cookies. They have fresh ginger, powdered ginger and crystallized ginger in them. They are also rolled in sugar before baking which gives them a lovely crackle. They can easily be rolled into balls and frozen and then baked as you want them.

You will need:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1/2 cup very finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 cup of unsalted butter - 2 sticks - room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 white sugar
• 1 egg - room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup icing sugar or course turbinado sugar to roll cookies in

Step 1: add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground ginger.

Step 2: chop the crystallized ginger into a very fine dice. It is sticky and takes a bit of time but, spend some effort doing it nice and tiny. Add 1/2 cup to the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate.

Step 3: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer whip the softened butter and sugars for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the bowl and beater at least once to make sure it gets fully incorporated. 

Step 4: add egg, molasses and fresh ginger. Mix 1 minute. 

Step 5: add dry ingredients into wet ingredients all at once. Slowly mix until incorporated. It will make a wet sticky dough. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6: using a small ice cream scoop make approximately 1 tbsp balls. You will get 36-40 cookies. Roll each in your hands just to make almost smooth. Place on a tray and freeze at least 1 hour before baking.

Step 7: if you want you can place balls in a Ziploc bag and freeze until you are ready to bake. They will store in the freezer for months.

Step 8: take frozen cookie balls and toss in a bowl with icing sugar or course sugar (sometimes it is sold as Sugar in the Raw) Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. They will still be soft in the middle when you remove them. Let cool and they will be chewy in the centre and crunchy around the edges. I find that if you coat the cookies in the course sugar they stay more contained and tight. If you coat in icing sugar they spread a bit more and bake flatter. They are both great in taste although I prefer the course sugar.

My dog Lulu goes out of her mind when she smells these cookies! She loves anything with cinnamon or ginger so I guess I will have to share.