Chocolate and Ginger

These Chocolate-Ginger Crinkle Cookies were among our Christmas cookies this season. They are a new addition to our Holiday collection.

I'm still really enjoying giving Gingerbread my attention. Saturday evening we brought Grandmom Lindner's Favorite Gingerbread Cake, a recipe from the book, to a party. I would have shown you the results, but it wasn't ready until after the daylight was gone.

I had a moment of amusement at the party when bent over the dessert table to make my selection, I overheard one guest tell another that someone brought a delicious gingerbread that he should try.

I lifted my head and waved. Thank goodness I wasn't quietly slinking out of the room in shame!

These cookies have a zing to them, especially if you make sure that your ground ginger is fresh. I omitted the crystallized ginger in these, but if you like it, the recipe calls for a 1/4 cup, finely chopped.

Chocolate-Ginger Crinkle Cookies
adapted from Gingerbread

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
7 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner's sugar for rolling

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Combine the butter and 3 ounces of the chocolate, and melt in a double boiler or microwave, stirring periodically until it is melted and smooth.

Stir the sugars into the melted chocolate mixture using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Drop in the eggs, one at a time, mixing briskly until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and gradually incorporate the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining 4 1/2 ounces of chocolate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the chilled dough into walnut-sized balls, roll in confectioner's sugar, and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and the tops are cracked.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets set on wire racks for about 2 minutes before removing them to the racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Makes 40 cookies