The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies {Day Three}

Hi friends! I hope you are having a fun weekend!

The last weekend before Christmas...Yikes! Where did all the time go?

Now I will admit it seems my brain is running on fumes lately with the craziness of it all, but I can still do basic math. And I know that in order to give 10 more cookie recipes before Christmas, I am obviously going to have to do more than one "day" in a given day! :) I hope you don't mind this!

So, without further ado...

"On the third day of Christmas,

there was a recipe

for

Giant Ginger Cookies"

{see, it even rhymes...sort of}

;)

These are delicious cookies, and they have a "secret" ingredient that gives them a little zip, which is black pepper.

{Ingredients}

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon, but it was too much for me! However, for full disclosure, my husband liked it best with 1/2.)

1-1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for coating

6 tablespoons unsulfured molasses

1 large egg

{To bake}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, allspice, and pepper.

With an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg.

With mixer on low, gradually beat in dry ingredients just until combined.

Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and freeze for 20 minutes for easier handling. * I found it took more like 45 minutes until it was easy to handle!

Shape dough into twelve 2- inch balls. Place remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a bowl.

Roll balls in sugar to coat; place on prepared baking sheets, at least 4 inches apart. Flatten into 3-inch rounds; sprinkle evenly with sugar remaining in bowl.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and cracked on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

{Makes 12}

* Now I prefer them a little less large, so I rolled the dough into about 1 inch balls. This way the recipe makes about 2 dozen. But either way, they taste good!

Well, thank you for letting me share another cookie recipe with you! I will be back later today with a craft idea for kids! Have a beautiful day! :)

Until then,

Jenni