Giant Ginger Cookies

I remember eating ginger snaps out of the box as a child.  They were hard as rocks, but you could dunk them in cold milk until they softened up.  I'd eat them until I got a stomach ache, they were that addictive.  (Second only to Hydrox, my childhood preference over Oreos).  There was also a wonderful spice cookie with raisins that my mother would bring home from a local bakery that was both gingery and chewy, covered in sugar.  I could eat plenty of those, too.

I don't really remember where this recipe came from.  Could be from a women's magazine or from a newspaper.  It's been too many years.  But it has some of the characteristics of those long ago cookies from childhood.  There are warm spices, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, which seem to come to mind this time of year.  And they're soft and chewy so you don't have to soften them up in milk, although they taste wonderful with a nice tall glass of cold milk.  So there's something nostalgic about them, something sort of comforting.

GIANT GINGER COOKIES

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (I like Chinese cassia in these)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar (I use superfine)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar

[Note:  This recipe is so old that I've always measured ingredients the old way:  dip, scoop, and level the flour.]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt into a medium sized bowl.  Set aside

I usually set all of the ingredients next to the mixer like this:

In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening until softened.

Gradually add 2 cups of sugar;

beat until fluffy.

Add eggs and molasses;

beat well, until combined.

Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat until combined.  Then stir in the remaining half of flour with a wooden spoon.

Using a #16 or #20 cookie scoop, shape dough into 2-inch balls.  (You'll get 22 cookies with the #16, and 25 with the #20)  Roll in coarse or granulated sugar.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 1/2" apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed.  Do not overbake or cookies will not be chewy.  Let stand for 2 minutes before transferring parchment to counter.

Cool completely.  See how lovely they look with their fissures and sparkling sugar.  Since they're so large, they take about 28 seconds in the microwave to defrost.