Ginger Sparkle Cookies

Soft and Spicy and Sparkling With Sugar

Simply Delicious

With the ginger, cinnamon and cloves, these cookies have lots of flavor, and crusted in sugar, they look pretty, too.

Cookies With a Twist

Ginger sparkles are ginger-flavored cookies with a twist: these cookies are rolled in sugar, which adds such a delicious taste and look.

I've never really been a fan of molasses and when I was little, I somehow formed the opinion that molasses was right up there with cod liver oil. There seemed to be a perception that it was "good for you" and as such, I avoided that suspicious-looking brown mixture with a passion.

Through the years, I would occasionally try ginger snaps and while I didn't mind the crispy ones broken up and mixed with vanilla ice cream, they still seemed to be lacking something. I kept thinking they needed icing or something else to propel them from plain to pleasing. As a result, other than gingerbread men, I never bothered to make ginger cookies.

I was visiting a friend and she offered me some of her ginger sparkle cookies. I declined and told her I didn't really care for cookies made with molasses. She urged me to try her cookies, confidently stating that they were different and I would like them. I bit into the cookies and she was right. They were lovely and soft and... spicy! Rather than plain-tasting cookies that were missing something, like the other kinds I'd tried, these were wonderful. They didn't taste overmuch like molasses and with grains of sugar crusting them, they were truly delicious. I was hooked and fell in love with the cookies and asked her for the recipe.

Making Ginger Sparkle Cookies

Make sure your butter is room temperature.

• 3/4 butter
• 1 cup brown sugar (light brown sugar)

Place Butter and Brown Sugar into a Bowl

Cream together butter and brown sugar by mixing with a wooden spoon.

Cream Together

Add Egg & Molasses

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup fancy (or light) molasses

Mix with wooden spoon.

Recipe Tip

Make sure to use a lighter molasses.

Cream Together First Four Ingredients

What Gives These Cookies Their Flavor

Instead of the standard ginger and molasses, this recipe includes cinnamon and cloves, which makes for a spicier cookie with much better flavor.

Adding Dry Ingredients

• 2 scant tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cloves
• 2 cups of flour

Stir until well-blended.

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Spices Are What is Missing in Blander Cookies

The spices were the missing ingredients in the blander versions of molasses cookies I'd tried.

Add Dry Ingredients

Ginger Cookie Dough

Instructions

1. Mix ingredients until well-blended.
2. Roll cookie dough into small balls.
3. Add white sugar to a bowl and roll balls in sugar.
4. Place balls on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.

Rolling Ginger Cookie Dough in Sugar

Mm-Mm Good

Satisfying, soft, and the sugar coating makes them truly special.

Which Sugar to Use?

You can use regular sugar to roll your cookie dough balls in but it would be neat to try dusting these cookies with the larger sugar crystals. This type of sugar is known as:

• Decorating sugar
• Course sugar
• Sanding sugar

You'll be Hard-Pressed to Resist Popping a Couple of These into Your Mouth Even Before They're Cooked

Baking Cookies

Bake in a 325 degree oven 10-30 minutes. Reduce heat towards end of cooking time.

These cookies bake up thick and soft.

Baked Ginger Sparkle Cookies

Alos Good for a Christmas Treat

Ginger Sparkles are particularly nice to make around Christmastime. The ginger flavor fits perfectly with the Season.

Want a Bite?

Now Enjoy

This recipe is a definite keeper. Make a batch and sink your teeth into these delicious cookies.

© 2009 Athlyn Green