Gingerdoodles

When school is in, I hardly ever have time to bake and by the time I’m done baking something, the sun has gone down and I can’t take any pictures. Now, I know that I could take pictures the next day, but I work every other day, which means no picture taking. However, now that school is out for Winter Break, I can bake to my heart’s content, and take pictures of the things I make, which is part of the fun I think.

And because I am free from school, and it is the holiday season, I’ve been making cookies all week long! They’re not all for me, but for my dad’s side of the family. Last year I filled holiday boxes with cookies and sent them to my aunt and her family, and my grandma, and this year I thought I’d do the same. Let’s start off with these spicy Ginglerdoodle Cookies I found on Lauren’s Latest.

Gingerbread is like one of the essential holiday cookies. It’s not Christmas until you bite into a soft gingerbread man. Even though I love my gingerbread men, I hate rolling out dough. Well, I guess I don’t hate it, I just hate the decorating part that comes after it. I’m generally a patient person, but for some reason, I just can’t deal with making the royal icing and then sitting down for hours just decorating a cookie. That and I don’t have the skill to decorate cookies, oh well.

So these are kind of like Snickerdoodle cookies… ok maybe not so much like them, but they are tossed in sugar before they are baked and they crinkle as they spread. That crackled top really makes for a pretty cookie.  And the spices combined with the molasses takes this cookie over the top with warm holiday feelings.

Gingerdoodles

from Lauren’s Latest
makes about 3.5 dozen

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
¼ cup molasses

¼ cup sugar for rolling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and molasses. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for another 2 minutes or until the ingredients are fully mixed.  Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once all the flour is incorporated, turn the speed to medium and beat for 20-30 seconds.
3. With your hands, roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Place the remaining sugar in a bowl. Roll the cookie dough balls into the sugar a couple at a time. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for about 6-8 minutes. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool for about 2 or 3 minutes on the ray before moving them to a cooling rack for further cooling.