Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Gingerbread: a classic flavour during Christmas time, no? Gingerbread and Christmas just go together like two peas in a pod. One is not the same without the other.
However... sometimes... things are just too good to only be eaten once a year. These cookies fall into that category. Hence why I made them a few weeks ago!
Enter the chocolatey-goodness of Chocolate Ginger Cookies! This is one of my favourite recipes. They have an amazing ginger flavour thanks to fresh and ground ginger, and the chocolate flavour from cocoa powder along with chunks of chocolate throughout makes them so much better than an average ginger snap. Because let's get real, chocolate chunks make everything better, am I right?
Perfect when paired with a hot chocolate by the fire on a cold winter's eve... Or anytime during the year when you just want really delicious cookies. Add a glass of cold milk into the mix, and you're golden.

Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Recipe from my friend Martha

• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (peeled!)
• 1/2 brown sugar (light or dark is fine, I used dark)
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp boiling water
• 7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (or bittersweet if you are feeling dark and dangerous) cut into chunks, or you can use about 1 cup of chocolate chips in a pinch!
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a bowl, sift the flour, spices and cocoa powder. In a mixer, cream together the butter and ginger until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add sugar, beat it! Add molasses, beat it! Like Michael Jackson.

In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda with the boiling water. Beat half of the flour into the butter mixture, followed by the baking soda mixture, followed by the remaining flour, beating until just combined after each addition. Stir in the chocolate. shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge until firm, 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 325 (300 if you have a crazy hot oven, like moi). Line baking sheets with parchment or Silpats. (Note: Silpats are the best invention ever, and are well worth an investment.)

Roll dough into small balls, about 1 1/2" or however big you desire. Place 2" apart on baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Roll them in the granulated sugar, and if you wish, flatten them a tiny bit with the palm of your hand or a fork. They will spread a tiny bit when they bake, but I do like to flatten them a bit myself to help them out. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, let cool for 5 minutes or so on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Eat one fresh while the chocolate is still melty, and you will experience euphoria.

<3 Larissa