Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

When I first stumbled across the recipe for these delicious chewy ginger cookies, I had no idea they would become my favorite Christmas cookie of all time. At the time, I was working as the blog editor for a stationery and paper goods company in Portland, and I was looking for a recipe idea that would pair well with the holly tags that were eventually featured in this post. I loved the idea of creating white space on a ginger cookie for decorating, but it never occurred to me how well the flavors of rich, earthy ginger and molasses would pair with the creaminess of the white chocolate.

Don’t get me wrong: you can eat these cookies in their plain form. They make for a delicious ginger-molasses cookie experience, but please do try them with the white chocolate if you feel so inclined. I promise, it’s worth the extra effort.

A word about white chocolate chips: I’ve tried several brands, but certainly not all. The brand I keep coming back to in terms of flavor is Ghirardelli. They’re not sponsoring this post or anything - don’t worry. They just have a good, true flavor without any weird aftertastes, and they melt perfectly.

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Chewy Ginger Cookies Dipped in White Chocolate

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda½ tsp salt2 tsp ground ginger1 tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp ground cloves¼ tsp ground nutmeg¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened½ cup sugar½ cup packed light-brown sugar1 large egg¼ cup molasses2 tsp vanilla extract½ cup sugar in the raw (or regular sugar)3 cups white chocolate chipsWax paper or parchment

Instructions

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg together in a large bowl, making sure the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the egg until incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla extract and beat, scraping down the sides, until everything is mixed together.
2. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from stand mixer, and scrape the sides down with a spatula. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Line your cookie sheet with a silpat mat and preheat oven to 375F. Place ½ cup raw sugar in a bowl and set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator and, using your hands, roll balls that are 1½ to 2 inches in diameter with the dough. Place dough balls in the bowl with the raw sugar until evenly coated. Place balls on cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches space between each ball. Lightly flatten each ball into discs and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cookie rack to cool.
4. Once cookies have cooled completely, melt the white chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir until creamy and smooth. The chips should be completely melted, but if not, place back in the microwave for another 10 seconds.
5. Tear off a length of wax paper and place it on your counter. Dip cookies into the melted white chocolate chips, one by one, scraping the excess off the bottom as you remove it from the bowl. Place on wax paper and allow white chocolate to set until completely hardened.

Notes

Optional: after the white chocolate has hardened, decorate your cookies using royal icing/frosting

P.S. I always double this recipe. And although I usually always dip them in white chocolate, I only bother to frost them with royal icing if I’m feeling fancy.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.