Extra Chewy Ginger Spice Cookies (Gluten Free)
With a kick of spicy warmth from both ground and crystallised ginger, these extra chewy ginger spice cookies are as easy to make as they are delicious. Their texture is spot on: caramelised and crispy round the edges AND chewy in the middle – the best of both worlds!
Ingredients
- 5 1/3 oz (150 g, 30 thumb-sized pieces) crystallised ginger
- 3/8 cup (75 g) caster/superfine sugar
- 5/8 cup (125 g) light brown sugar
- 3/4 stick + 1 tbsp (100 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 4 tsp molasses
- 1 medium egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups (240 g) plain gluten free flour blend (I've used Doves Farm Free plain gluten free flour, which doesn't contain xanthan gum; can be 1:1 substituted for regular wheat flour if gluten free isn't a requirement)
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your gluten free flour blend already contains xanthan gum, or if you're using regular wheat flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 - 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground cloves (optional)
- pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
- granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
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In a food processor, process the crystallised ginger, caster/superfine and light brown sugar until you get a smooth-ish paste. A few small pieces of cystallised ginger here or there are perfectly alright.
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Transfer the crystallised ginger + sugar paste to a bowl, and add the melted and cooled butter. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer with the double beater attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy (about 3 - 4 minutes).
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Add the molasses, egg and egg yolk, and beat for a further 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
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Sift together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices), and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix together until the dough comes together – it will be quite soft and only slightly sticky.
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Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
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While the dough is chilling, pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line a baking sheet with greaseproof/baking paper.
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Roll ~1 - 2 tbsp worth of the chilled cookie dough (depending on how large you want the cookies to be) into a ball, roll it in granulated sugar, and place onto the lined baking sheet. Make sure to leave about 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) space around each cookie dough ball, as the cookie will spread during baking.
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Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for 12 - 15 minutes, depending on whether you want the cookies to be chewy/fudgy (shorter baking time) or crispy (longer baking time).
I like to take the cookies out of the oven about 8 minutes into baking, and tap the baking sheet onto the counter to flatten the cookies slightly and give them the characteristic cracks/ripples. At this point, you can "correct" the shape of any irregular cookies using a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies – just use it to gently push and form the cookie edges to get the desired round shape.
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Once baked, allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet, as they are very soft right out of the oven.
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Enjoy!
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Storage: The chewy ginger spice cookies keep well in a closed container for about 1 week. Note that they will get slightly softer and chewier the longer they're kept.
Recipe Notes
To make the cookies more cakey in texture, you can add slightly more flour (no more than a few tablespoons).