Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup molasses
Extra sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350^F. Sift together the flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir in the sifted flour mixture until well combined.

Shape dough into walnut sized balls and roll them in sugar. This dough is very soft, so I found it easier to just drop about a tablespoonfull of the dough into the sugar and the roll it.

Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookied to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

These are delicious, soft and chewy. John says he'd like me to make these often and not just at Christmas. They're nicely shaped and quite flat and I think they'd be really cute with some holly leaves & berries piped on them with icing, but I have a cold and don't feel much like messing with that today. Maybe next year.

Adapted from recipe of the same name at allrecipes.com