Snappy Gingers

From Donna Dooher's "Cookworks" on Food Network.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2⁄3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar, plus
•  sugar, for dusting the cookies
• 1⁄4 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1  egg yolk
• 2  tablespoons blackstrap molasses
• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  ground espresso
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and molasses and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, espresso, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. (The dough will be quite soft.).
4. Roll the dough into tight 1-inch round logs, wrap snugly in parchment paper or plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour until firm, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to six months.
5. Unwrap the dough and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. (If frozen, let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before slicing.) Pour some sugar into a shallow dish. Press the top of each cookie into the sugar and then place cookies sugar side up on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not over bake; the cookies will become "snappy" once they have cooled completely. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool for 5 minutes.