My younger sister brought this delicious ginger cookie recipe home from school one day, and we’ve already made them three times this year. We found the crystallized ginger at a local spice shop, but it is actually possible to make your own. The other types of ginger—fresh and ground—add a delightful spice to the cookies, which is accentuated by the cloves. Adding the molasses and the brown sugar gives the cookies a smooth, rich flavor. And of course, baking is not only an art of the taste—your kitchen will smell like the holidays as soon as you open the oven!

Ginger Cookies (Makes about 20 small)

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 4 T. minced crystallized ginger
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 T. butter, room temperature
• ½ cup (packed) brown sugar
• ½ large egg, room temperature
• 2 T. light (mild-flavored) molasses
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh peeled ginger
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ cup (about) sugar 

Preparation:

1. Whisk flour, crystallized ginger, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in medium bowl.
2. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the brown sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add egg, molasses, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat to blend.
4. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed just to blend between additions.
5. Place ¼ cup sugar in small bowl. Measure 1 tablespoon dough. Roll into ball between palms of hands, then roll in sugar in bowl to coat; place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, spacing cookies 1½  to 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake cookies at 350°F. until surfaces crack and cookies are firm around edges but still slightly soft in center, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on sheets on rack.

Recipe by Dina Berray