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.

Christmas Cookies

I tried a few new cookies this year, but the ones that remind me of my mother are the 7-layer Ribbon Cookies and the Chocolate Crackle Tops.  She always had them on her "repertoire" of goodies at this time of year.  The 7-layer cookies are made with almond paste and have an apricot jam filling; then covered on both sides with chocolate. 

The Chocolate Crackle Tops include plain breadcrumbs, ground pecans, and grated chocolate.....they're rolled in confectioners' sugar, and as they bake, "crack" on top.  I've been baking these every year for over 30 years.

Cookies shown below include:  Coconut-Orange Snowballs, Italian Almond Cookies, Chocolate Crackle Tops, 7-Layer Ribbon Cookies, Fig Swirls, Gingersnaps, Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies, White Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cookies, Peppermint Sugar Cookies (I apparently had a "thing" for peppermint this year)

Not shown:  White and Dark Chocolate Peppermint (see?) Bark,

Brandy-soaked Fruitcake (My husband is the ONE person on the planet who loves fruitcake),

Banana Bread

I might still bake:  Rugelach, Spice Shortbread, and White Chocolate Cranberry/Pistachio Biscotti