holiday cookie 3.0

Ginger and maple.  In a cookie.

Perfect for the holidays … right?  Right.

Heck … these are perfect for any ol’ day.  Like today.  They’re perfect for whipping up and enjoying with some eggnog.  Yes.  Pull out that eggnog, grab a few of these cookies … and enjoy.

These cookies will melt in your mouth.  They spread while they bake – so you end up with a thin cookie – nice and chewy without being crispy or hard (even 5 days after you bake them).

Don’t expect these to be similar to what I’ve been baking.  They don’t hit you in the face with a molasses kick.  The dough doesn’t need to be chilled before baking (although I do recommend it).  Plus you get the added surprise of biting into crystallized ginger.  These are good.

Are you sold on making these yet? I bet I convinced you when I mentioned eggnog.

Giver.  Make these cookies … NOW.

I have only one real complaint about this recipe.  Unlike all the other ones, where you end up with dozens of tasty little cookies (remember to be shared AND enjoyed by yourself), this recipe only makes 2.5 dozen cookies.

ginger-maple thins

ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour, sifted

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp diced crystallized ginger

1/4 c. raw sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and the ground ginger. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand-mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar for a couple of minutes, it’ll lighten up.  You should increase the speed of your mixer to medium – this will allow the batter to get nice and fluffy.

Add the egg, maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Beat until incorporated.

Decrease the speed of the mixer and add the flour and crystallized ginger, until just combined.

This is where I decided to place the cookie dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes – it made it easier to handle.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, place the raw sugar in a pie plate.

Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, and then roll them in the sugar.  Place them on the prepared cookie sheets – about 2-inches apart (remember, these cookies will spread as they bake).

Now grab a glass.  It’ not eggnog time.  So don’t fill it.

Flatten each ball pressing the base of the glass on each cookie.

Bake until golden, about 6 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes on the rack, then transfer to a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely.

Done.