Chewy Ginger Cookies

Chewy ginger cookies are the cookie tin staple that turns kitchens into bakeries from October through New Year. Molasses gives them their deep amber color and that signature soft chew, while a trio of ginger, cinnamon, and clove builds the warm spice backbone you can smell three rooms away.

The sugar coating before baking is what creates those signature crackled tops. As the cookies spread and rise in the oven, the sugar shell splits into a sparkly mosaic that catches the light. Roll the dough balls thoroughly so every inch is sugared up.

Vegetable shortening is the move here, not butter. Shortening keeps the cookies thick and chewy without spreading flat, which is exactly what you want for that bakery-style soft middle.

Pro Tips

• Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies at 10 minutes when the edges look set but the centers still look slightly underdone. They firm as they cool, and that’s what gives you the chewy middle.
• Chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling if your kitchen runs warm. Cold dough holds its ball shape and bakes up taller.
• Use full-flavor unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap. Blackstrap is too bitter and overpowers the spices.
• Store with a slice of bread in the airtight container. The cookies stay soft and chewy for a week instead of going hard overnight.

Variations

• Add a quarter teaspoon of cardamom or freshly ground black pepper to the spice blend for a more complex flavor.
• Roll in a mixture of sugar and finely chopped crystallized ginger for a double-ginger punch.
• Sandwich two cookies around a layer of cream cheese frosting for a homemade gingerbread sandwich cookie.