I could probably attach the title “new fave” to almost every cookie in Alice Medrich’s Chewy, Gooey, Crispy and Crunchy book, because everything I have tried is simply fantastic. But this ginger cookie is terrific, and has a different place in my reportoire than the Best Recipe’s, though I love that one too (see Molasses Spice Cookies). After a conversation I had tonight with my friend Rachel, I realized I had never posted this recipe, and it was high time! especially since winter is feeling close to over here in the Rocky Mountains and these cookies just epitomize an afternoon with a cold chill in the air. These are also a favorite (surprisingly to me!) of, I think, two of my kids, Henry and Peter. Incidentally, this recipe works fantastically at high altitudes, too.

My Ginger Cookies

• 2 c. (9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 t. baking soda
• 2 t. ground ginger
• 1 ½ t. ground cinnamon
• ½ t. ground allspice
• ¼ t. salt
• 8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
• ¼ c. unsulfured mild or full-flavored molasses (not Blackstrap)
• ½ c. (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. (2.33 ounces) packed brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
• 2 T. finely minced fresh ginger (I omit this; it’s too much for my little ones!)
• 1 large egg
• ¾ c. (4 ounces) ginger chips or crystallized ginger, cut into ¼ -inch dice
• About ½ c. (3.5 ounces) Demerara or turbinado sugar or ¼ c. (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Combine the warm butter, molasses, sugars, fresh ginger, and egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and ginger chips and stir until incorporated. The dough will be soft.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls (0.5 ounce dough for each). Roll the balls in the Demerara sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the lined or ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies puff up and crack on the surface and then begin to deflate in the oven. Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and from back to front halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. For chewier cookies, remove them from the oven when at least half or more of the cookies have begun to deflate; for crunchier edges with chewy centers, bake for a minute or so longer.