Christmas cookies!

Over on Facebook, we are talking about all things holiday. One of my very favorite things about winter and Christmas is baking. I don’t like to cook, but I do like to bake. I only really make time to bake during the holidays, though. Because I live in Florida, it almost feels like blasphemy to have an oven on most of the year. This is the only time it feels right.

There were several requests from my Facebook peeps for my most beloved Christmas/winter cookie recipe, chocolate ginger cookies. I have to thank the Interwebz for this recipe, because I found it while stumbling around food blogs about three or four years ago. It fast became my very favorite. Just be careful to chill the dough well and to leave it slightly underbaked — that is the real trick. These bake quickly! The recipe below I found on the food blog Judy’s Kitchen, but she found the recipe at The Schell Cafe. Enjoy!

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CHOCOLATE GINGER COOKIES
Recipe courtesy of Judy’s Kitchen (http://judyskitchen.blogspot.com)
Source: The Schell Cafe
INGREDIENTS:  12 oz. chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s Special Dark + 63% cacao Bittersweet)
3 cups + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (Pillsbury unbleached)
2-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. natural cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature (If using unsalted butter, add 1/8 tsp. salt)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
bowl of granulated sugar for dusting + some coarse sanding sugar for tops

Whisk together first 9 ingredients in large bowl.  Cream butter and brown sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy.  Slowly add molasses, scraping well after each addition.  Gradually add dry ingredients and mix only till combined.  Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight for best results.

Heat oven to 350F.  Using rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, roll in wet palms to form balls.  Roll balls in sugar to coat.  (If using sanding sugar for tops, then roll part of the ball in sanding sugar and place, sanding sugar up, on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake till puffy and just starting to crack.  A toothpick inserted in center will return with some, but not too much, dough sticking to pick.  These cookies are best when slightly underbaked and will continue to cook as they cool.  My cooking time was approximately 9-10 minutes.  Cookies deflate as they cool, also, and are supposed to be thin with a slightly crunchy, crispy edge and soft chewy insides.  Yield:  about 52 cookies

What are your favorite cookies to bake — and of course, to eat — at the holidays?