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Ginger Cookies Recipe
Recipe created by Heidi Swanson
Oprah.com   |   November 09, 2011
ginger cookies
This year make your holidays doubly delicious! Give homemade cookies paired with one of our favorite 2011 cookbooks for a gift that keeps on giving.
Known for her vegetarian recipes, Heidi Swanson (of 101 Cookbooks blog fame) is adept at satisfying a sweet tooth, too. In her cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, the ginger cookies use whole grain flour, not white, but also include a generous portion of chocolate chunks.

Makes 8 dozen small (or 4 dozen large) cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
  • 1½ Tbsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
  • 2 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 70 percent cacao, finely chopped
  • 1 cup raw or turbinado sugar
  • Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

Active time: 45 minutes Total time: 1¾ hours (includes chilling time)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Heat butter in a small pot over medium-low heat until just melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in granulated sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger. Set aside until mixture is just warm and then whisk in egg. Add butter-molasses mixture and apricots to reserved flour mixture, stir until just barely combined, and then fold in chocolate. Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place raw sugar in a small bowl. To form each cookie, shape ½ Tbsp. dough into a ball, and then roll in raw sugar to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 apart. Bake until just cracked on top, 8 to 10 minutes. (To make larger cookies, use 1 Tbsp. dough for each ball and bake 10 to 12 minutes.) Set aside to cool, then dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Bake it better!
Roll these cookies in raw sugar (often called turbinado) for a sparkly, crunchy finish, or in powdered sugar for a softly sweet bite.

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson (Ten Speed).
Printed from Oprah.com on Saturday, May 25, 2013
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