Every now and then, I bite into something that rocks my world. Over the Christmas holidays, I was at a pot luck and chomp my taste buds went wild! The daughter of the host had baked ginger cookies and was graciously walking through the crowd with a platter piled high. I was more interested in the conversation I was having than her plate of cookies until I took a bite. Hands down, these are the best soft ginger cookies I’ve ever eaten. Being the recipe scrounger that I am, I asked if she’d mind sharing with me.
“Absolutely!” she smiled. “It’s the first ginger cookie recipe on the Allrecipes blog”
I couldn’t resist putting my own spin on the original…
Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies chocked full with goodies – adapted from Allrecipes
Preheat oven 350*F
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup molasses
1/3 cup dried apricots, diced
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ cup pistachios, chopped
¼ cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped [optional]
2 tablespoons white sanding sugar
THE STEPS:
- Whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, then the water and molasses.
- Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.
- Mix in the dried fruit and chopped nuts.
- Scoop dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the 2 tablespoons of sanding sugar.
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.
THE LOVE: As with any cookie, don’t overwork the dough. Mix until just well combined.
click here for the printable recipe
Thanks for reading.