Chocolate-ginger combination

Chocolate and ginger are good together.  Add a little molasses and you really can't go wrong.  You can get a really nice browned cookie that stays a little chewy thanks to the molasses.  This is a really easy cookie that'll make the house smell great.

Chocolate Chip Ginger Spice Cookies
Recipe from Pastry Affair

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 113 grams) butter at room temp
• 2/3 cup (130 grams) dark brown sugar, packed 
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 2 tablespoons dark molasses 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 6 ounces (about 1 cup) chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 and line 3 baking sheets with tin foil.  Beat the butter and the sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer for a few minutes, until light and fluffy.  While the mixer is going, in a small bowl dry mix flour, ginger, b powder, b soda, and salt, set aside.  Once the butter and the sugars are fluffy, add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add the reserved flour mixture and beat on low to combine.  Add the chocolate chips and beat once more, until they are distributed.  Drop walnut-sized balls of dough onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart, if you want larger cookies, double the size of the ball but leave more space between cookies for spreading.  Bake small cookies for about 12 minutes, larger cookies add a few more minutes, checking in between until they get golden brown and set to the touch.  Allow time to cool on the cookie sheet so the cookies can firm up before picking them up.

The barter system

My friend Blue and I have a really great barter going on where she gives me massages in exchange for baked goods.  This week I had her work on this wicked knot in my back and I made her cookies.  I really like this trade, we've been doing it pretty much all summer.  Blue often challenges me by asking for gluten-free or vegan recipes and I try to rise to the occasion.  I pulled out an oldie but goodie Martha recipe for this weeks trade.

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Method:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chewy Vegan Ginger Cookies

So I made these a few times over Xmas for all my vegan peeps to enjoy. I like recipes with spices in them and this one does not disappoint in the spice category. They are a bit chewy, so don't be fooled and over-bake them, take them out of the oven when they're still a little soft- but set. You can find the original recipe on Lunch Box Bunch's blog.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp ginger powder
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/4+ cup water (see notes)
1/4 - 1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup melted vegan buttery spread
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Notes:
* I used white whole wheat flour from Trader Joe's. Any flour variety will work though.
* Adding more molasses will make the cookies darker and bolder. But don't add more than 1/2 cup - because the flavor will be too strong. Molasses is bold.
* If you sub the butter spread w/ veg oil like canola, add in an extra dash of salt.
* If your dough seems too dry - simply add water in 1 tsp intervals until the dough meshes perfectly - in a Playdough like consistency.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Soften the vegan butter spread in the microwave. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, ginger powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda/powder. Mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the softened buttery spread, molasses, vanilla extract, grated ginger and water.

5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir by hand well until all the ingredients are blended into a moist ball of dough. The dough will seem dry at first, but keep stirring and folding and it will come together. If needed add in extra water one spoonful at a time until the dough consistency is reached.

6. If you want perfectly shaped ginger cookies, you can freeze the dough for 1/2 hour then roll out the dough to cookie cutter circle shapes for baking. Or you can simply roll the dough into moist balls, dip in a coating of sugar and bake. I tried both versions and was pleased with both. (If you want crunchier, thinner Gingersnaps - roll the dough out thin, cut into thin circle shapes and bake.)

7. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Fluffy, but not hard. Cookies will firm up when they cool. Note: do not over-bake - or you will get gingerSNAPS instead of cookie chews.

8. Allow the cookies to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. They will harden as they cool as well as overnight.

Photo Credit: Lunch Box Bunch