ultimate ginger cookie

*see my notes below before baking!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves (1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (3/4 tsp)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (1/4 cup butter, melted)
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces) (1/4 cup)
• Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies
• (1 TB vanilla crush- vanilla extract with vanilla beans)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. (I used silpat liners)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. (I just used a whisk) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Add the vanilla) Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. (Cookie scoop is easier.) With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. (I didn't flatten them at all, they flattened while baking.) Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. (10 minutes is better. At 13 they were too hard for me. But I love soft cookies!)The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

*Food Network, Barefoot Contessa

I wanted something a bit spicier than my usual ginger cookie. I found this on the Food Network website. The comments in parentheses are what I did to change the recipe, because I am not that fond of cloves and nutmeg. And I lessened the crystallized ginger because I didn't want them to be THAT spicy! After they had cooled on the cooling rack, I melted some white chocolate chips and drizzled it on top of the cookies. Just a little bit of white chocolate makes them just perfect!

(I had a hard time finding the crystallized ginger- I finally found it in the spice aisle, but it was $11 for a tiny glass bottle. So I went to the health food section and found a 1 lb bag for $5. Deal!)