Ginger Cookies

Giant Gingerbread Cookies (credit to Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard):

* 2 1/4 C all purpose flour
* 2 t baking soda
* 1/4 t salt
* 3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 3/4 C packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 C sugar, plus 1/3 C for dusting
* 1 1/4 t ground ginger
* 1/2 t ground cinnamon
* Pinch of ground cloves (optional)
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 C blackstrap molasses
* 1/2 C crystallized ginger, chopped (I omitted these, since I didn’t have any)

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, the 1/4 C sugar, the ginger, cinnamon and cloves for 1 minute at medium speed. stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle/beaters, and add the egg and molasses. Blend at medium speed for 1 minute, then scrape down the bowl and paddle. On low speed, add the sifted dry ingreidnets and then the crystallized ginger. Mix for 30 seconds.

Place the 1/3 C sugar in a bowl. Lightly flour your hands. divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Roll in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (I made mine smaller and ended up with about 3 dozen).

Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12 minutes. Rotate the sheet from front to back and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the cookies are light brown around the edges.* Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.