(I can't stop eating these) Ginger Cookies!

While I was visiting my hometown over what amounts to an extremely early Spring Break up here in the Frozen North, my emergency back-up mother, who is one of the best cooks I've ever mooched food off of, gave me a recipe for white chocolate gingerbread blondies. Blondies are essentially brownies without chocolate, though the dough is closer to the consistency of cookie dough. Ordinary blondies are laced with chocolate chips, and come out like thick, gooey chocolate chip cookie squares. She told me that these ginger ones made an enormous batch, and they vanished mysteriously fast.

When I got back to Canada, I knew I didn't have a pan to bake them in, and I wanted cookies. Plus, though I'm not averse to white chocolate completely, I was averse to paying five dollars for a woefully pathetic bag, so I tactfully omitted those from my creation. So I made a half batch without halving the spices, and they were ridiculously good. This, the second time I made them, I tweaked it a bit so there's some more flour. What happened the second time was that heaven descended on my kitchen and the gods kissed my cheeks and wept. It was awesome. So here it is: fantastically amazing ginger cookies.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5/8ths teaspoon baking soda
5/8ths teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

In a separate bowl, beat:
1 stick butter (8 Tablespoons)
5/8ths cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar

Beat this until it is fluffy and cries for its mother.

To this, add:
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/6th cup molasses

Stir allegro con multo passione until it is smooth and brown and lovely.

Gradually add dry mix to this, and stir until just combined.

Using the 1/2 teaspoon measure, spoon dollops of dough onto cookie sheets (I didn't bother to grease mine, and despite the lack of Teflon the cookies were perfect), spacing about 2.5 to 3 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes, or until they're a little golden around the edges.

And then you eat them. All of them. They go perfectly with Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer tea - I am a dork and I do dip cookies in my tea. The Queen would be indignant. But it's worth it. If you would like the original recipe, just ask and it will be yours.

Kate