A good friend of mine had hipped me to my winning ginger snap/molasses spice cookie recipe and for me, that meant the end of tweaking. Even though I am a chronic recipe tinkerer, when something gets high marks, is asked for repeatedly, I leave it alone. Until another good friend suggested that there was a cookie of equal, if not greater merit by the Canyon Ranch called Triple Ginger Cookies. I made it and though I must say it was a very, very, very good cookie, I was missing some of the flavors from the other cookie that I loved, namely cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. So just for fun, I added them in to see whether or not it would make it better. It did. Know what else made it better? Full-fat cream cheese (the original recipe calls for low-fat cream cheese, which is gross).
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cream cheese
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup black strap molasses
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp himalayan sea salt
- ¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger root
- ½ cup minced crystallized ginger
- 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar on low speed with an electric mixer. Add egg yolk and molasses and mix on low until just combined.
- Combine dry ingredients, whisk thoroughly.
- Add to wet ingredients.
- Mix briefly by hand, and a brief mix with the stand mixer (I find this is necessary).
- If possible, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or over night.
- Using your hands or smallest scoop, create balls.
- Dip and roll in sugar.
- Add to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes. Cookies should have a crinkled look and be relatively flat.
- Cool for five minutes and serve.
Master of Low Arts 