Double Ginger - Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies were this weeks offering to the Monday Munchers at work. I don’t know what persuaded me to make ginger cookies this week, as although I like gingerbread and cake I’m not really a fan of ginger cookies.

I adapted this recipe from one of my favourite blogs ‘Culinary in the Desert’ and I think it was reading about their description of the cookies that made me decide to give them a go. I am so glad I did as these cookies are absolutely divine! To give them my own touch I added in some mixed spice and used black treacle in place of the molasses, as well as reducing the sugar content. I also used an ice cream scoop to measure out the cookies and as I result I ended up with 14 thick, soft, chewy, cake like cookies. Very different to the 40!!! stated in the original recipe.

The cookies themselves have a crisp edge to them when first baked which yields to a soft, slightly chewy middle that has the texture of gingerbread, helped no doubt my their thickness. Overnight these cookies loose their crispy edge, turning them more cake than cookie but in some respects this made them even better. They have a wonderful gingery spicy flavour and the black treacle lends a lovely richness and moistness too. The little nuggets of crystallized ginger buried within the cookie adds an extra burst of flavour every time you bite into one. The surface of the cookies has a lovely crackled appearance, making them even more appealing. Their smell, taste and texture is just amazing and they were instantly devoured at work (even before lunchtime). I urge you to make them, so simple and yet so delicious. Many thanks to Joe at ‘Culinary in the Desert’ for the original recipe.

Double Ginger - Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from ‘Culinary in the Desert’ blog
Ingredients
250g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp mixed spice

150g butter or margarine
180g granulated sugar

1 egg

45g / 1 tbsp black treacle

60g crystallized ginger

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and set to one side.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar together using an electric hand mixer until fluffy.
Beat in the egg until well incorporated. Chop the crystallized ginger into small pieces using a pair of scissors and stir through the batter along with the black treacle.
Scatter the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and mixed spice over the batter and beat together until just combined.
Using an old fashioned ice cream scoop, or a tablespoon, take equal amounts of the cookie batter and place onto the baking tray about 2inch/5cm apart. (Form the dough into balls first if using a tbsp).
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until puffy and golden brown on top.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling wrack.
Bake more cookies using the rest of the dough on a fresh piece of greaseproof paper.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes 14 very thick cookies.