Soft Ginger Cookies

Tonight is Round Two, Game one of the QMJHL playoffs. And so the Saint John Seadogs are duking it out against the Victoriaville Tigres at Harbour Station in Saint John. I am at home because i don't have the extra money to go, so i put the game on the radio and went into the kitchen. There i found that the cookie jar was empty, again; where the cookies keep disappearing to, i do not know. I have not seen him, but i have to wonder if the Cookie Monster is sneaking into my apartment when i am asleep.

Soft Ginger Cookies.


3/4 cup butter.
1 cup sugar.
1 egg.
1 Tbsp water.
1/4 cup molasses.
2+1/4 cups all purpose flour.
2 tsp ground ginger.
1 tsp baking soda.
1 tsp cinnamon.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, molasses and water until smooth.
In another bowl, mix together flour, ginger, baking soda and cinnamon. Add this to the butter mixture, beating until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls, placing 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F for 8 to 10 minutes. They will be soft and appear not quite done, but leave them on the sheets for a few minutes and they will firm up.

I go this recipe from a book called Basic Baking: baking from scratch, easy as pie. I picked it up for two dollars on a sale table a few months ago.  Although i hardly need basic baking lessons (this one really breaks it down), i picked it up because it seems to have a lot of good recipes. This recipe stated it makes three to four dozen. I got 29. It also states they will expand a lot, so the first ovenful i put only six to a pan. Well, they expanded a bit...but those six cookies above are on a pie plate. I hardly call that massive expansion. But, they taste good and they were easy to make. They are nice and chewy and spicy from the ginger.

Just to be safe, i mixed only 1+1/4 cups of flour with the spices and soda, i mixed that in and then added the last cup a quarter at a time. I had no reason to worry, it all incorporated very well.

The Seadogs won 4 to 1, they got their final goal in the last seconds when the Tigres pulled their goalie during a penalty. The Seadogs have yet to lose a game this season during regulation time on home ice, here's hoping they can do it again tomorrow night during game two; and again next week in Victoriaville! Me, I am going to bed, it has been a long day, and i will be sleeping with one eye open for the Cookie Monster!

Goodnight!