Giant Ginger Cookies

I really like cookies. Tonight my sister and I we discussing that cookies really could be the perfect dessert.

Here are a few reasons cookie could be considered the best dessert:

* They are more dense than cake and you can really sink your teeth into them.
* Perfect combination of sugar and butter.
* They usually involve chocolate. (At least the cookies I make usually involve chocolate.)
* You eat them with your hands.
* They come in many varieties.

Today I tried out a new recipe for Giant Ginger Cookies and they were really delicious.The recipe came from my friend Desiree and I pretty much followed her recipe except I swapped the shortening for butter. 

The recipe didn't call for dipping them in chocolate, but as you can see from the above list, my cookies usually need to include chocolate.

These were large, thick and perfectly soft.

Want to make these?  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
4 1/2 cup flour
4 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
sugar for rolling dough balls

Directions:
1. Stir together flour, ginger, soda, cloves and salt and set aside.

2. Using a mixer, beat butter until softened and then gradually add 2 cups of sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and molasses and mix until combined.

3. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

4. Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to shape 2" dough balls. Roll in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Allow space between cookies because these will grow quite a bit while baking. Press flat with your hand or a cup.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed. Let stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheet after removing them from the oven and then place on a wire rack to cool.

If you want to dip in chocolate, allow cookies to cool completely. (I cooled the cookies in the fridge because I was short on time.)

Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave for one minute intervals until melted. Dip cookies in chocolate and use a spoon to help spread the chocolate.

Place dipped cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and allow chocolate to cool. You can place them in the fridge to help the chocolate firm up more quickly.

Let me know if you give these a try. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.