The Ultimate Ginger Cookeh

I rarely have ginger cookies. But I love them. And it's even more of a rarity when I have them home made. Well, seeing as it is December, and seeing as I was swamped with school stuff, and seeing as I was craving ginger cookies, I took the opportunity to try out a recipe. And you know what? They were fantastic, and pretty much how I always have remembered them to be--sweet, spicy/gingery goodness, and definitely not those generic bland things you get in the grocery store. Nuh-uh. This recipe is one I would definitely go back to in the future, although with a few minor changes I'd like to see if they would make a difference: one would be adding both orange and lemon zest, and adding lemon juice instead of orange.

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

• 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

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Ps: I'm home, finally! After three solid months of work+ study, I can breathe easy, and read nothing school related. Ahhh. Will be back (soon!) with more updates!