Ginger Chews
(from liralenli’s recipe box)
When you bake them enough but not too much, they should be chewy in the center and crisp on the edges.
Source: Odyssey of the Mind Judge in Colorado
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 1/3 Tablespoons ground dried ginger
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon mace
- 2 to 4 Tablespoons Gran Marnier
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 325.
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Whisk together flour, soda, and spices.
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Cream sugar and shortening together until fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and Gran Marnier, one at a time and blend in well.
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Add dry ingredients and fold in to blend.
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Form into 1" balls, roll in granulated sugar, place on cookie sheets and bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes. They shouldn’t have browned much more than the molasses color and may still be a little dark and damp in the centers. This is good as you don’t want to cook them all the way through unless you want gingersnaps instead of ginger chews.
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(optional) If you don’t have Gran Marnier, I’ve also used 3 Tablespoons of brandy with 1/8 teaspoon of orange oil (available from King Arthur’s Flour).
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Makes about 3 dozen cookies that freeze well.