The first time Audrey made these cookies for me, she was about 10 years old. Now she’s almost 15 and still makes these fabulous cookies. Here’s what she told me about them when she was 10: “I wanted to make these cookies because my mom always made these cookies when I was little, and they tasted soooo good! The first two times I made them, they didn’t turn out so good (forgot to add the baking soda). The third time’s the charm though. This time they turned out perfectly. I made them all by myself, without any help from Mom.” If you want to freeze the dough for future baking, shape them into 2-inch balls first, then freeze on a cookie sheet. Once they are firm enough, place them in a freezer bag until you’re ready to bake them. Defrost the dough balls before rolling them in the sugar before baking.
A Few Ideas to Play With the Ginger Flavor
Our readers gave us some of these suggestions:
Use chopped up crystallized ginger in or on top of the cookies.Reduce the amount of ginger used for less of a ginger flavor.Use a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger in place of the ground ginger.
More Soft Cookies to Whip Up
Simple Soft Sugar Cookies Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies Eggnog Cookies Peppermint Lofthouse Cookies
Check out all of our holiday cookie recipes here! Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), at room temperature 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup molasses (unsulfured)
For rolling the dough:
3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar
Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
