Just Two More Cookies

I know, you’re probably tired of seeing cookies posted on every single web page and blog these days, but these last two I simply have to talk about this morning.  The other day Andy mentioned how much he wanted some gingersnaps… I thought I wasn’t going to make any more cookies this year, but once he mentioned that, I thought of these Ginger Spice Cookies and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to make them for him.  The only ingredient missing is the crystallized ginger.  Yes, they are fantastic cookies with the chopped ginger bits, but truth be told, I prefer them without.  These are a spicy cookie- let me warn you.  The black pepper really gives them a peppery bite, but they really are fantastic and worth the time to make.  If you’re not familiar with turbinado sugar, you can find it in the sugar aisle at your grocery store. Sugar In The Raw works, as does Natural Sugar and Demerara Sugar.  Really, you’re simply looking for an unprocessed large-crystal sugar.  The fact that it hasn’t been processed and refined gives it a slight caramel flavor and the large crystals give the cookie a fantastic crunch.  If you are hesitant to buy a big bag, do so anyway, and then make a pan of these amazing Demerara Peanut Butter Brownies with what is left.

For my second cookie…well, these came about because I was grabbing the brown sugar in the pantry for the spice cookies and saw that I had a full box of Baker’s white chocolate squares.  I wondered what I could do with them, and within seconds my eye flitted to the box that held my peppermint chips, and I remembered these amazing cookies from last year, and decided to make a batch of White Chocolate-Peppermint Drops.  I used to not be a big fan of mint, but somewhere in the last few years, I’ve discovered that it is delicious, in fact, and have been trying it out in places that are new to me.  Another thing that I have discovered is that white chocolate was made to go with peppermint.  When I eat peppermint and chocolate, I always have this sensation that I’m missing part of the chocolate because of the cooling properties of peppermint.  But combined with white chocolate, peppermint is perfection.  The white chocolate still gives you that buttery flavor behind the mint, and I just love how well they go together.  This particular cookie has become an instant favorite for me, hence it’s Christmas cookie status, because I could very well sit down with a dozen of them and be a very happy person. Once a year is all my waistline can handle of this cookie.

Both cookies are a fantastic addition to the Annual Cookie Parade. One word of caution with both of them though.  Because they are both very strongly flavored, it is best to store these separately and alone.  It wouldn’t take long at all for these cookies to share their flavors with other cookies and ruin something else completely delicious.

Ginger Spice Cookies

makes about 30 cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup crystallized ginger
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

Turbinado sugar

Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Chop the crystallized ginger finely; mix into dry ingredients. (To keep the ginger from clumping together, sprinkle pieces across the top of the flour mixture, then fold in.) With an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter baking sheet. Pour turbinado sugar into a thick layer on a small plate. (Regular granulated sugar will work for this, too, though the larger crystals of the turbinado add an extra crunch to the cookie.) Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. (I made my balls more like 1-inch, and ended up with about 48 cookies.)

Bake cookies until tops are cracked but still soft to the touch, 11-12 minutes. Cool on sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to racks and cool. Store in airtight container to maintain outer shell’s crunch… if they last that long.

White Chocolate-Peppermint Drops