Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

These are my other favorite holiday cookies, but they are much easier than the rugelach.  All you do is mix up the dough, let it chill a bit, scoop, and bake.  You definitely have to underbake them, so they stay chewy for days after baking.

Recipe: Ginger Cookies (from Jenny Bakes)
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened (1.5 sticks)
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp white sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.  Whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses.  Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.  Shape dough into walnut sized balls (or better yet, use a small scooper with a release mechanism), and then roll in the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar.  Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake ~8 minutes, or until edges are set but center looked puffy and uncooked.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

They are the cookies on the left.