Martha Stewart Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread

grandma2969's Note:

This is another of her cookies from a holiday issue in 2001. Melts in your mouth good..a nice twist to a gingerbread cookie

• Total Time: 24 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 24 hrs
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 dozen

• 1 1/2 cups tbsps all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated peeled ginger
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water
• 7 ounces best quality semisweet chocolate, chunked
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together, flour, ginger,cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and ginger on medium speed until lightened, about 4 minutes.
4. Add brown sugar,beat until combined. Add molasses, beat until combined.
5. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water.
6. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture.
7. Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining flour mixture.
8. Mix in chocolate, turn into plastic wrap.
9. Pat out to 1" thickness, seal with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight.
10. Preheat oven to 325*.
11. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls, place 2" apart on baking sheets.
12. Chill 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar.
13. Bake until surface just begins to crack, 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through.
14. Let cool 5 minutes.
15. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Reviews

[Baker Barb]

This is a truly OUTSTANDING cookie! It's the first Martha Stewart recipe I've made and it really is "to die for". I made it for Christmas sharing and chose to keep all the cookies! :) I didn't have fresh ginger so used 1 tbsp of crystallized ginger and it worked great. Also, I used regular chocolate chips instead of chunked semisweet chocolate and that, too, works fine as a substitution. I was just munching on these this morning and think I'll be making another batch. Soft, chewy, sweet and tasty - just the right amount of spices! Yum - definitely a keeper for me.