Soft Ginger Cookie Recipe

This is most certainly by request!  I need to save this recipe.  It's THAT good.  I also mentioned this in a fitness group that I am active in and I was asked there to make sure I get the recipe out. 

So here it is.  In fact it is SO good that I am setting an egg and a stick and a half of butter out right now to make more since we are tearing through the batch I made last week.  It's raining so I'm not slacking too badly.

This is a very common recipe.  I kept coming up with it when I was researching, and you will find it frequently.  I think the Value I Added is this substitution below.  Definitely consider it if you have access to Ginger Paste.

Substitution: Also when I made this recipe, I realized that I had a LOT of Ginger Paste.  It's useful in Indian recipes and is supposed to be used at 1/2 the volume as Ginger powder.  I used it at a 1:1 ratio since in Philly, where I grew up, we had these "Ivins Ginger Snaps" that I loved.  They were a gut punch of ginger flavor.

You choose!

Ingredients:

•     3/4 cup (170g) butter, softened - room temperature
  
•     1 cup (200g) sugar
•     1 large egg, room temperature
•     1/4 cup (76 g by weight) molasses (I used blackstrap for the extra flavor)
  
•     2-1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
•     2 teaspoons (10ml) ground ginger (Or Ginger Paste!)
  
•     1 teaspoon (5ml) baking soda
•     3/4 teaspoon (4ml) ground cinnamon
•     1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) ground cloves
•     1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) salt
•     Optional - Additional sugar for sanding
  

Please note that metric measurements are derived from this link.  The recipe was originally in imperial/traditional measurements.

Process:

• Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg and molasses.
• In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients:
  
• flour, 
• ginger, 
• baking soda, 
• cinnamon, 
• cloves 
• and salt
• Add the dry ingredients slowly to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Optional - Scoop or roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch (2cm) balls and roll in sanding sugar. (I did not).  Each dough ball weighed .9 oz or 25.7 grams before baking.
  
• Place 2 inches (5cm) apart on ungreased baking sheets or parchment paper.
• Bake at 350F/180C until puffy and lightly browned.  10 minutes to 15 mins.
• Cool on Wire Racks.

Serving Size is 2 cookies as they are about 110 calories each.  But you decide, I'm probably not your trainer!