Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies: 12 Days of Cookies Day 5

Each year, the library where I work hosts extended hours for students to prepare for the end of the quarter. This year, our schedule is a little strange since Thanksgiving is so late! We don’t normally extend our hours during finals, since students take their exams and go home, but this year we did. So far it’s been fairly quiet but I am happy to help those students who are here.

Those of us who work in the library try to bring snacks for the students: granola bars, cookies, and that sort of thing. We often have quite a mixture of items, but not many homemade items. I try and bring a batch of some type of cookie, and this year I made these Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. I brought the cookies in the morning and by 2 o’clock my empty tin was returned to me. I think students can’t get enough of home baked goods.

These cookies offer an interesting twist on traditional gingerbread by adding cocoa powder. The recipe was strange, in that it didn’t have a tidy ingredient list and instructions, but the recipe turned out ok. This recipe called for dark brown sugar and I actually used it, and that paired with the cocoa powder packs quite the chocolate punch. These cookies have a bittersweet note to them, which is really interesting this time of year, when everything you eat is so sweet. I would love the candied ginger to be even more pronounced, so the only change that I would make is to sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little extra candied ginger. You can never have too much ginger!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

½ cup butter, room temperature

1-1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup molasses

2 tablespoons crystallized ginger

1-1/2 cups flour

½ cup cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Crystallized sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, molasses, and crystallized ginger and beat on medium to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together.

Scoop the dough into tablespoon balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 8-12 minutes, until set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Food Network