baci's baking - Soft Ginger Cookies

Once again - I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit!! Anything with molasses just screams holiday to me :)

Soft Ginger Cookies

(Recipe Adapted from BHG's The Ultimate Cookie Book)

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 t. ground ginger

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground cloves

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

3) Add the 1 cup of sugar, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.

4) Beat in the egg and molasses until combined.

5) Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

6) Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll balls in the coarse (or granulated, whatever you have) sugar to coat. Place balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

7) Bake for about 10 minutes or until light brown, but still puffed (do not overbake). Let stand for two minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack and let cool.