GIANT GINGER-SPICE COOKIES

My boys are coming for a visit next weekend, and I am beyond excited since I haven't seen them both for over four months. Much too long from a mother's perspective. One of their favorite treats are these Ginger cookies that I used to bake for the cafe'. Everyone seemed to gobble them up, and they're equally great with milk or a steaming cup of coffee.

GIANT GINGER-SPICE COOKIES

4 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ginger
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 ¼ cups sugar, plus an additional ½ cup for coating
1 cup canola oil
¾ cup molasses
2 eggs
¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1 ¼ cups sugar, oil, molasses, and eggs just until smooth. Add chopped ginger to combine; fold in flour mixture. Refrigerate dough for about 15 minutes.

Place ½ cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a large ice cream scoop (about ¼ cup equivalent), make mixture into balls; roll each in sugar to coat; place on parchment-paper lined baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until golden. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, these cookies freeze well.

Makes about a dozen-and-a-half.