Home for the Holidays - Ginger Crackle Cookies

Along with the fudge, shortbread cookies, apple pie and large quantities of chocolates that my mom has available during the holidays, I thought I would try to make a new cookie recipe courtesy of my good friend Amanda (why do I do this to myself?). These cookies are easy to make and are full of holiday flavour (cinnamon, molasses and cloves)!!

Ginger Crackle Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar + extra to coat the cookies
1 egg
1/4 molasses
2 cups + 2 tbsp flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger (if you aren't a huge fan of ginger you can use 1 tsp)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves (can substitue all spice)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl stir together the butter and sugar. Add the egg end mix until well combined. Add the molasses and stir. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients in stir well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time. Once the dough is well mixed roll the dough into balls (about i inch in diameter). Roll the balls in a dish of white sugar and place on a cookie sheet (about 8 cookies should fit on a standard cookie sheet. Make sure to leave lots of room for them to expand). Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 mins. When they come out they should be golden brown and still a little soft. If you prefer a crispy cookie bake for an extra 2 minutes. Enjoy them while they last!

* If you want to make these cookies a little more special you can melt white or milk chocolate and dip half the cookie in the chocolate mixture then place in the fridge to harden.