Ingredients
2⅓cupsall purpose flour,spooned into measuring cup, leveled-off
2tspground ginger
½tspground allspice
1tspground cinnamon
¼tspground cloves
2tspbaking soda
¼tspsalt
pinchfreshly ground black pepper
1cupgranulated sugar,divided
½cuplight brown sugar,packed
1cupunsalted butter,(2 sticks), softened but still cool
1large egg
⅓cupmolasses
Preparation
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter for about 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the egg and beat for about 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the molasses, mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
Add the dry ingredients, then mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix. The dough will be very soft.
Refrigerate it for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to roll.
Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar to coat.
Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart, then flatten slightly using fingers.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until set and golden on the outside and slightly soft on the inside.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate the dough between batches.
Serve and enjoy!
