Holiday Entertaining: Spicy Ginger Cookies

I learned this recipe from my friend Judy Feagin, who let me come bake more than 700 cookies with her yesterday for her church's holiday open house. Judy retired from Southern Living magazine- so she really knows what she is doing. I learned so much about cooking baking but more than that, I had so much fun!

Here's one of the recipes we made: her holiday ginger cookies. Use a small ice cream scoop to measure the cookie dough. It makes the whole process simple.

TAKU GINGER COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup molasses

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar in the raw or turbinado sugar for dipping

Space oven racks evenly. Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy.

Beat in egg and molasses.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.

Using a small ice cream scoop, form walnut-sized dough balls and roll the tops and sides in raw sugar- just the tops and sides... don't get the sugar on the bottom.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake 10-12 minutes for softer cookies, longer for crisp cookies. Cookies will crack on the top. Excellent served warm.

Need more holiday recipes? Try some of these:

 HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

HOLIDAY COCKTAIL RECIPES

KELLY'S ENGLISH TOFFEE COOKIES

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