Soft Ginger Cookies

Fall in my kitchen is all about cinnamon, spices, pumpkin, sweet potato, pecans .... baking with yummy smells floating throughout the house. This has to be one of my all time favorite cookie recipes!
A church friend, Eleanor Holford, shared this with me several years ago and never does a fall and winter pass without several batches being baked in our house. I love these with a cup of hot tea. They're great for dunking. If you prefer hard/crisp ginger cookies (more like ginger snaps) don't make these. These are soft and warm and perfect fall "comfort food"!

Soft Ginger Cookies

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup margarine or butter, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
¼ cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, soda, spices and salt. Set aside.

Cream margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses; stir well.

Add flour and spice mixture. Stir until well blended. Roll dough into 1 ½-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased baking sheet.

 

Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown and puffy. Do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: about 30 cookies.

Helen’s notes: I usually double the recipe. These keep well in an airtight container for weeks. They also freeze well. You can even freeze the dough before baking. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.