Triple Ginger Cookies

The day finally arrived that I have been waiting for for several months. Ever since the cool days of spring burned into the heat of summer I have been dreaming of a whole houseful of tiny ginger cookies. Now that it is cool enough to bake again, it is time to break out the oven mitts.

Thank goodness I started the cookies as soon as I got home from lunch with a friend - otherwise my plans would have been ousted in favor of fixing apples and cabbage.

This is my favorite photo. The flour is on top, the crystallized ginger on the bottom left, and the fresh ginger in the measuring spoon. There is also powdered ginger which has already been mixed into the flour. There. Is. A. Lot. Of. Ginger. In. These. Puppies.

And they are oh so chewy and gingery. Yum. Double Yum. I almost went into sugar shock from just three tiny cookies. They are pure, unadulterated sugar.

Love at first sniff. Since it is my birthday, Kevin didn't even complain too much about the intensity of the ginger smell. He's such a great hubby.

Triple Ginger Cookies

1/2+ cup large-grain sugar (i.e. turbinado)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2/3 cup fine grain natural cane sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup crystallized ginger, then finely minced
1 t lemon or orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350F degree. Line a couple baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or a Silpat mat, place the large-grain sugar in a small bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt.

Heat the butter in a skillet until it is just barely melted. Stir in the molasses, natural cane sugar, and fresh ginger. The mixture should be warm, but not hot at this point, if it is hot to touch let it cool a bit. Whisk in the egg. Now pour this over the flour mixture, add the crystallized ginger (make sure it isn't too clumpy), and lemon zest. Stir until just combined.

Use a small cookie scoop, then tear that ball in half. Roll it into a ball and then into the turbinado sugar. Place dough a few inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookies puff up, darken a bit, get fragrant and crack.