Chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, this oatmeal cookie recipe incorporates candied ginger instead of raisins, giving these cookies a spicier flavor and lasting warmth.
Homemade Cookies are Required
My ex-husband loved ginger cookies. One day, he went on a rare grocery shopping trip and decided to pick up a package of ginger cookies to quell a recent craving of his. However, on getting them home, he discovered that these cookies were more like wafer-thin spiced sugar cookies than anything else, the ginger flavor barely present. He was clearly disappointed that his cookie craving could not be satisfied.
Now, I had been planning on making a batch of cookies myself soon as I’d more or less resolved that store-bought cookies are just terrible, and I wouldn’t be happy unless I had something homemade. Though my plans had been to make a simple batch of oatmeal cookies, I felt compelled to mix things up a bit and address my ex-husband’s discontent.
I was not resolved to entirely abandon my oatmeal cookie plans, as in these cold and dreary days of January, oatmeal cookies are high on my comfort food list. But, doing a little ingredient adjusting was definitely on the table. So now presenting for your enjoyment, a particularly spicy oatmeal cookie using two different types of ginger to really maximize the warming flavor of ginger (and perhaps the immune system boosting benefits of the root as well).
Oatmeal Cookies with Candied Ginger
Makes about 18 cookies
Inspired by the Oatmeal Cream Pies with Ginger Cream recipe from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook by Brent Ridge, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, and Sandy Gluck.
“Oatmeal Cream Pies with Ginger Cream.” The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook: 100 Delicious Heritage Recipes from the Farm and Garden, by Brent Ridge et al., Rodale, 2013, pp. 208–209.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- In a separate bowl or the bowl or a stand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. By hand, fold in the rolled oats and the candied ginger.
- Roll the dough into ping-pong ball sized balls of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets approximately 2-3 inches apart (you should be able to fit 9 per baking sheet).
- Gently flatten the dough balls to a ½” thickness with your fingers before popping the cookies in the oven.
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until the edges have browned and the middle is still a little paler. Once out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Looking for other non-chocolate cookie recipes? Another great cozy cookie recipe you could try is my Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Cookies with Lemon and Rosemary. Enjoy!