Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

These ginger cookies are easy to make, delicious and are usually devoured quickly around here. I like to make these instead of gingerbread cookies at Christmas time. Hide some cookies away for yourself because they will be gone so fast you won't know what happened!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup shortening or butter
• 1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling (or use turbinado "sugar in the raw" for rolling)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped finely*
• (optional) 1 Tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and chopped finely)
• pinch of salt

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream shortening together with the sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add molasses and egg and blend.  In a separate medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.  Add chopped crystallized ginger to the flour mixture and stir to mix.  Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and mix until blended.  No need to chill the dough.  
• Scoop out tablespoon size pieces of dough and roll into balls.  Roll balls in sugar and place on baking sheet, 1 inch apart.  Flatten the balls slightly with fingers or bottom of a cup.
• Bake for 10-12 mins. until golden brown and crispy at the edges.  Cookies will be crinkly on top.  Remove from baking sheet and cool on racks.

*To chop the sticky ginger, mix with either some of the flour or sugar from the recipe and chop. The flour or sugar will help keep the knife from sticking.

Adapted it from a Food Network Paula Deen recipe.