Christmas Cookies

I am not a baker.  I'm an amateur cook, but not much of a baker.  However, a few years ago, some girls at work had a recipe-swap on the go.  I was the lucky recipient of the recipe for the best ginger spice cookies known to man!  These cookies have been shared, gifted, and bake-saled innumerable times in the past few years.  And now the recipe will be shared with you all.

Warning:  These cookies are pretty spicy.  Do not attempt to eat without a full glass of milk at the ready, or - as I prefer - orange juice.


Ginger Spice Cookies
Makes ~ 36 cookies

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 cup white sugar for decoration

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix until blended.  In another bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix until blended.  Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture in thirds.  Mix dough until uniform. 

3.  Using your hands, form dough into ~ 1 1/4 inch balls.  Roll lightly in white sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

4.  Bake for 10 minutes, until underside of cookie is just golden brown, and the top of the cookie has a cracked look.  They will be pretty soft at this point (i.e. you won't think they're cooked) but do firm up once cooled.  Do not overcook or they turn into hockey pucks!  I usually cool them on a plate/solid flat surface.  It may take a while to get the cooking temp/time right depending on your oven and whether it runs hot or cold.  You could always cook a dozen at a time, using different temps and cook times.  Good luck!

Just look at the crackly tops of those delicious little morsels!  They are especially attractive if you can find a nice coarse, granulated sugar for the topping.