Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Gingerbread is as much a part of the holiday season as Santa and elves. Put a new twist on an old favorite by adding chocolate to your favorite gingerbread cookies. Serve these cookies moist — they’re best when they’re extra soft and chewy. After one taste you won’t believe you never imagined this combination before.

Makes: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 7 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Chop chocolate into 1/4 inch chunks and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar, beat until it combines. Add molasses, beat until combined.

2. In a small bowl dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in the dissolved baking soda, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate, turn out onto plastic wrap, wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

3. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.