Ginger Cookies are aptly named, as they are both ginger colored and ginger flavored. They have a sugar coated crackly surface, and when you bite into one you will find the texture soft and chewy with a flavor that is buttery and spicy. Although this cookie is ideal any time of the year it does seem particularly well suited to the Fall and Winter seasons when our palates seem to prefer stronger flavors. The combination of molasses with ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves gives these cookies a sweet and warm fragrance and flavor that makes eating
one just about impossible.
There are quite a few cookies that belong to the same group as Ginger Cookies. These include Gingersnap Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, and Molasses Cookies. The ingredients are quite similar (amounts do vary) for all these cookies and the batters are prepared in the same way. The batter for Ginger Cookies does need to be chilled so it can be easily formed into rounds and then rolled in either granulated white sugar or white sugar crystals. The balls of dough are then flattened slightly and baked just until firm around the edges yet the centers of the cookies should still be a little soft. The longer you bake these cookies the more crisp and crunchy they will be.
Although I think these Ginger Cookies have just the right amount of ginger flavor, especially for kids, adults may want an extra punch of ginger. This can be done by adding finely chopped crystallized ginger. Just add it to the batter along with the flour. And before I forget, keep in mind that ground spices have a fairly short shelf life so it is best to buy in small quantities from a bulk food store that has a high turnover. The added advantage of buying them in bulk form is that they are a lot cheaper than buying those small glass bottles from your local grocery store. Make sure to store your spices in a cool dry place, away from heat (it is not a good idea to store them by the stove).
Finally, there are two types of molasses generally used in baking; light and dark. While I have used light molasses in this recipe, if you want a cookie with a more robust flavor, try using dark molasses. Light molasses comes from the first boiling of the sugar syrup and is lighter in flavor and color than the dark molasses which comes from the second boiling. Molasses is usually labeled as “sulphured” or “unsulphured” depending on whether sulphur was used in the processing. I prefer the unsulphured molasses which is lighter in color and tends to have a nicer flavor. By the way, molasses is used in baked goods, not only for flavor, but also for color and moistness. It is a good idea to lightly spray your measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray before pouring in the molasses. This prevents the molasses from sticking to the cup.
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