Double Ginger Cookies

I recently entered and won a holiday cookie contest held by the Sandy Springs (GA) Hospitality and Tourism group (the video is also posted here). We entered cookie recipes in September, and recently shot a video at the Young Chef's Academy showing how we make our winning cookies. The other winner, Bernie's cookies are a New Orleans favorite: Lace Cookies.

Mine, well, they're Double Ginger Cookies and they're delicious too. I got this recipe from someone at church. I went to the funeral of a friend's father and had a cookie at the reception. I went into the kitchen and asked the first person I saw, Elizabeth Robertson, who had made those particular cookies. She did. And she was willing to share. We've been making these every year since. They are pretty and they freeze with ease.


Double Ginger Cookies

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 15-18 minutes

Makes about Four Dozen Cookies


2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 large egg white (for wash)
¾ cup chopped crystallized ginger (Trader Joe's carries it, as does Whole Foods)
½ cup coarse sugar crystals

Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment
paper.

Sift the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt together onto a sheet
of waxed paper.

In a large bowl, stir the oil, brown sugar, and molasses together with a wooden spoon
until well blended. Add the whole egg and beat until blended. Stir in the flour mixture
and finely chopped crystallized ginger.

Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl. Spread the sugar crystals in a shallow bowl.

With dampened hands, shape the dough into one inch balls. If the batter is too loose, add a little more flour. It should be easy to roll in between the palms of your hands. Brush each ball lightly with
egg white and roll in the sugar to coat lightly. Place the cookies about one inch apart on
the pans.

Bake the cookies until the tops are set and crackled, 15-18 minutes. Let the cookies cool
in the pans on wire racks for five minutes before transferring them to the racks to cool
completely. The cookies will firm as they cool.

This recipe makes about four dozen cookies. It is easily doubled. The cookies store well
if kept between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. They also freeze well.