Un-Americanize Your Diet

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit December 2011.  CSA ingredients: fresh ginger, Kentucky Sorghum If you like ginger these are a real treat!! Chewy Ginger Cookies

Use a triple hit of ginger—fresh, ground, and crystallized—and blackstrap molasses to lift your ginger cookies to the next level. The dough is rolled in raw sugar for a sparkly effect.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat free) 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 large egg 1/2 cup blackstrap (robust) molasses (I used Kentucky Sorghum) 2 tsp finely grated peeled ginger 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger 1 cup raw or sanding sugar

1 Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat brown sugar, shortening, and butter in a large bowl, scraping down sides halfway through beating, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add egg, molasses, grated ginger, and vanilla; beat just to blend. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger (dough will be very soft and sticky). 2 Place raw sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out dough. Using a second spoon, scoop dough from tablespoon measure into bowl with raw sugar; turn to coat well. Roll into ball. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with half of remaining dough and sugar, spacing balls 1 1/2" apart. 3 Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and centers appear cracked, 10–12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar, using cooled baking sheets and new parchment. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature between sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

Servings: 30 (orginal recipe says 48 but when I made them it was about 30 cookies)