Ginger Chewies

Makes about 2 dozen

This recipe, from Elinor Klivens’s great book Big Fat Cookies (Chronicle Books, 2004), makes wonderfully chewy spice cookies that pair well with a tall glass of cold brew for an afternoon break. 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon cloves 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 large egg 1/4 cup molasses About 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves into a medium bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and molasses, then mix until blended and an even light brown colour, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.

Spread the granulated sugar on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands to form a 1-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Continue making cookies, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm, but they are still soft in the centre and there are several large cracks on top — about 12-14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.