Cookie Monster
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[Photographs: Carrie Vasios]

These ginger cookies play up the combination of spicy candied ginger and tart dried cherries.

Note: Look for candied ginger that comes in little cubes, not shards, sometimes called Australian candied ginger. It will be more moist.

About the author: Carrie Vasios is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: makes about 30 cookies
Special equipment: stand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
  • 2/3 cup chopped candied ginger (see note)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries

Procedures

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg. Add vanilla and molasses and beat until incorporated. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and beat until just combined. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in candied ginger and cherries. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

  3. Adjust oven rack to upper and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by the rounded tablespoon (I like to use a 2 1/2 ounce cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until darkened and color and just drying on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.