Sometimes when I imagine a recipe idea, it takes a few tries to get it right. Then, when I finally achieve what I imagined, it’s satisfying to enjoy and share my creation. In this case, I was craving big, soft, buttery ginger cookies, not necessarily gingerbread cookies though. I wanted them to have crisp, golden brown edges with soft, chewy centers. These cookies hit the mark with the warm combination of spices, the rich nuttiness of the brown butter and just a touch of molasses. Baking the cookies until almost done, then letting them finish baking on the baking sheet gives them the perfect texture. They will spread, but don’t panic. Grab a large round cookie cutter or a small bowl and slide it around each hot cookie on the cookie sheet to shape them into perfectly round, cracked, bumpy beauties.
These cookies keep their soft texture for days, so they’re perfect for gift giving. Store them in a covered container at room temperature. You can also make the dough the day before, roll the cookies into balls, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. So helpful during the holidays.
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large cookies
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- 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 1/4 cups (290g) all purpose flour, sifted
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground star anise preferably freshly ground
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured molasses
Ingredients
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- In a medium-size light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer the butter with the brown specks to a small bowl. Let it sit until it reaches room temperature, then refrigerate it until firm. (I like to do this step the day before.)
- Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and star anise until well blended.
- In a large bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and the egg yolks in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined followed by the molasses. Stir in the flour mixture by hand.
- If your cookie dough is very soft, refrigerate it until it's easier to work with, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the remaining 2 tablespoons (25g) of granulated sugar into a small shallow bowl. Divide the cookie dough into 16 equal portions, about a generous 2 1/2 tablespoons each. I used a #24 portion scoop.* Roll the portions into balls, then roll the balls into the granulated sugar, coating them all over. Place the cookies at least 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.
- Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still a bit pale but no longer shiny and just beginning to crack a bit, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread. Remove the cookies from the oven. Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies by sliding it around each one in a circular motion a couple of times. Work quickly before the cookies set. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack
*To find the portion scoop I used, click here.