Nearly Perfect

Good Tuesday to you, Kitschies!  I don't know how it is where you are, but it's really starting to cool down here in New Mexico.  And that means it's time to get back in the kitchen!

I love to bake - especially when I can share my baking with family and friends.  Don't get me wrong, I could keep all my goodies to myself, but I'd end up weighing a lot more than I already do.  So, why not share the weight gain?  LOL

A while ago, a co-worker and I got an invitation to a soft opening of Paradise Bakery.  When they welcomed us in, they offered us a choice of cookies to try and I picked their chewy ginger cookies (that's not the name, but it's been so long, I can't remember the exact name).  I loved it so much (and so did my co-worker) that as soon as I got in to work, I went hunting for the recipe!  Now, this is not a plug for Paradise Bakery, but if you have a chance, go there and get one of their cookies - they. are. perfection!  This is, however, the result of my hunt.  This recipe isn't exactly the same, so I'll call them nearly perfect.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. 

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

NOTES:  In order to make the cookies look like the picture you see on Allrecipes, you do not flatten them - at all.  I just dropped them directly from the spoon and they cooked off just fine.

Of course I had my trusty kitchen helper with me for these!  Nate loves to help me in the kitchen - but the crazy boy doesn't usually eat the sweets we make...he'd rather have candy.  *sigh*

The end result of just piling the dough on the cookie sheets came out better than flattening them out.

Mmmmm!  Warm cookies.  Is there anything better than a warm cookie just out of the oven?  Yeah.  I didn't think so, either.

See what I mean?  You can see the "slightly flattened" cookies toward the top.  The dropped cookies look much prettier to me.  Don't get me wrong - the flattened cookies tasted fine, they just weren't as pretty.

I shared these cookies with my office and they were gone by days' end.  I'm sharing the recipe with you now so you can add something new to your Christmas cookie plates - you won't be sorry!