This time of year, in the month leading up to the holidays, I tell myself I'll avoid sweets and stick to salads and soups -- but who am I kidding -- nothing says December like baking, crafting and listening (on repeat) to this fabulous new album. So I apologize in advance for all the sugar-y, festive goodness that may be gracing these pages in the weeks to come, please forgive me.
Now, onto these cookies. The LCBO releases their holiday issue of Food + Drink every year sometime around late november. This issue always flies off the shelf, so you have to be quick if you're going to snag one. As per usual, I was blown away by the content, but these cookies stood out, screaming to be made. I couldn't resist. Intensely chocolatey, perfectly speckled with ginger bits, and doused in a glittery sugar coating -- totally festive and thoroughly delicious.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE GINGER COOKIES // makes 15-20
Adapted from Food + Drink, Winter 2014. This recipe is easily doubled - as per the original. Just remember, 4 T=1/4 cup.
Ingredients:
4oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 T cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 T butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 T finely chopped crystallized ginger
~1/4 cup coarse sugar (turbinado), placed in a shallow bowl
What to do:
Using a double boiler setup, melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth and let cool to room temperature.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk, beat butter and sugar until combine, light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Continue to add the oil, vanilla and room temp melted chocolate, and beat until well blended. Finally, add the flour mixture, and whisk until you no longer see any dry bits.
Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the ginger pieces. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Remove the dough from the fridge, gather 1 tbsp at a time, roll into a ball, then roll through the coarse sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Continue until the sheet is full and transfer to the oven. Place the bowl back in the fridge.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are set, and the tops cracked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Repeat with the rest of the dough, using the second baking sheet. If making a double batch, allow the baking sheet to cool completely before using for another round of cookies.
Chocolate. YUM.