Ginger Cookies
Whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in one bowl, then beat margarine with a cup of sugar until fluffy and mix in the egg and molasses. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until just incorporated. Portion the dough with a 2-inch ice cream scoop, roll the balls in granulated sugar, and bake on parchment at 350° until puffed with light brown edges, about 10 to 12 minutes, then cool on a rack.
A good ginger cookie is a small piece of comfort — soft and chewy, warmly spiced, with a crackled sugar top that catches the light. These are the cookies whose spice fills the whole house as they bake, the ones that taste of cold weather and holidays and childhood kitchens all at once. Rolled in sugar for that signature crackle, they are the kind of timeless treat that belongs in every baker's repertoire and every winter cookie tin.
The Warmly Spiced Dough
Cream the margarine and sugar, then work in the ginger and warm spices along with a little molasses for depth. That blend of ginger and spice is the soul of the cookie, so measure it with a generous hand — you want a warm, gentle heat that lingers after each bite.
The Crackled Sugar Top
Roll the dough balls in sugar before baking so the tops crack and crystallize in the oven into that signature crackled finish. Bake them just until set so the centers stay soft and chewy — that contrast of crisp, sugary top and tender middle is what makes a ginger cookie so irresistible.
Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a bowl.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the margarine and one cup of sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in the egg.
- Add the molasses and stir.
- Add the flour mixture and spices a little at a time until just incorporated.
- Use a 2-inch ice cream scoop to portion out the dough.
- Roll into balls and roll the balls in granulated sugar.
- Place onto a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake until the cookies are puffed and the edges begin to turn light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
The Heart of the Table
A batch of ginger cookies is the smell of the holidays made edible — warm, spiced, and deeply comforting to share. There is a cozy, nostalgic generosity in baking them, the kind of cookie that draws people into the kitchen and makes a cold day feel warmer just by being in the oven.
The Art of the Host
Roll the dough in sugar for the crackled top, and pull the cookies while the centers still look soft so they stay chewy as they cool. Store them in a tin with a slice of bread to keep them soft, and they will stay tender for days.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: The dough can be made ahead and chilled or frozen in balls, ready to bake fresh, and the baked cookies keep well in a tin. They are a perfect make-ahead for the busy holiday season.
- The Pour: A cup of hot spiced tea or coffee is the natural companion; for a festive non-alcoholic pairing, warm mulled cider brings out the ginger and spice beautifully.
- The Vibe: Pile them in a tin or on a plate for the holidays, an afternoon tea, or a cozy day at home. These are timeless, comforting cookies — warmly spiced and soft, made to fill a kitchen with the smell of the season.