Yes, Santa, these are the soft, chewy ginger cookies you love. Our

former baker at dish, Adell Shneer, used to add crystallized ginger or

put a big chunk of chocolate right in the middle. Enjoy these all year

round—ginger, after all, is good for you.

Stewie’s Ginger Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, at room temperature

1 cup (250 mL) sugar, plus additional for rolling

1 egg

1/4 cup (60 mL) molasses

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda

2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger

1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

How to

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in molasses until well combined.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Stir into batter until just mixed.

Shape into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Roll in white sugar to coat. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Do not flatten.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies just start to crack.

Let sit on cookie sheets for several minutes, then transfer to flattened brown paper bags or racks to cool.

Variations: For special ginger cookies, stir in 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped crystallized ginger before shaping into balls.

For the chocolate lovers, once cookies are formed on the cookie sheet, gently press a small chunk of good-quality milk chocolate into the top.

Courtesy Trish Magwood

http://trishmagwood.ca/