Sasha's Kitchen: Chewy Ginger Cookies

I love gingerbread and ginger cookies.  This is part one of a two part gingerbread cookie baking extravaganza that I got into this season (the second part being gingerbread men).  I made these gingerbread cookies that were nice and chewy using the recipe from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook.  I love to bake.  I don't just love it, but I find it relaxing and calming, and it is one of my favorite things to do.  I always want to bake more than I have people to feed all the baked goods to, so I have to contain it.  It's a bit of a problem!  At any rate, recently, I received a whole box of baking supplies from ShopRite and used some of the supplies to make these cookies, which were absolutely fabulous and addictive.  The original recipe recommends icing the  cookies as well, but I didn't think they needed it.

Chewy Ginger Cookies (recipe adapted from Jennifer Appel)
2 cups ShopRite all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ShopRite cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup ShopRite sugar plus 1 T for sprinkling
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Using your stand mixer, beat the oil and sugar on high speed for three minutes, then beat in the egg and molasses.  Unsulphured molasses stinks in my opinion, but don't worry, your cookies won't as it changes it scent when baked.  Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Drop  rounded teaspoonfuls spaced apart  on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  Bake each sheet of cookies, one at a time for 12 minutes.  They'll be soft when they come out but cook more when removed from the oven.  Allow to cool and remove from the sheets.  Enjoy!