from nori & elsa

We didn't have anywhere near the ingredients for triple ginger cookies, so we improvised, to an awesome result and adulation of Delafield.

• 1/2 C or 9 T butter, room temp or beaten or something
• 1 C sugar (supposed to be dark brown, but we didn't have it)
• 1/3 C molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 C flour (maybe 2 1/4 would be better)
• a big, golfball hunk of fresh ginger, chopped up
• 2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 or 2 T cloves
• few dashes:
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
• half a dash cardamom

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the molasses and then the egg.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter. Mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Add the molasses spice root and crystallized molasses spice and stir until well mixed.

Now, you're supposed to "cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight." Needless to say, we did not do this, and they were fine. A little sticky, perhaps, but you minimize palm contact time, and you're fine. What the fuck; quit your bellyachin'!

Heat oven to 350F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake until browned, about 10 minutes (we found 7.5 minutes to actually be perfect).

Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

from The Silver Palate Cookbook, adapted Nori & Elsa, Tue Jul 29 18:20:14 EDT 2003