Friday, May 10, 2013

Triple Ginger Caramel Cookies

Me and Ginger: A story in 3 parts

Ginger and caramel--so happy together

Part 1: When I was younger, my dad would make these super tasty stir fry dishes. My only issue were the nickel-sized pieces of ginger he'd use. I'd accidentally bite into a chunk, thinking it was a tender piece of meat or a golden vegetable, but instead I would be shocked and my mouth zinged. My young palate couldn't handle it. Sometimes, my dad would make us eat the thick slices of ginger, because it was "good" for us.

I dreaded ginger. That stuff was strong!

Ginger three ways

Part 2: I joined a running club to train for my first marathon in my mid-20s. It was so fun having a support system, but man, those 6 AM Saturday runs were early! Because of those early morning starts and the Gatorade that usually makes me nauseous, I took a liking to gingersnap cookies that gave me energy and tempered my queasy stomach.

I guess ginger could be helpful.

Ginger--ready to go

Part 3: My former roommate had moved back to New York. She was turning 30 and wanted to do something to commemorate it, so she started a blog, documenting her baking batches of 30 different types of cookies and sending them to family and friends to say thanks. I received a batch of soft ginger cookies and fell head over heels in love with them.

I was finally sold on ginger.

Good ol' Brach's caramels

But I honestly could have gone for more ginger (my palate has finally matured), so I made these lovelies.

The best ginger cookies!

These are awesome because you use 3 types of ginger (go big or go home!). Plus, a little caramel doesn't hurt the situation at all--am I right or am I right?

Mmmm...caramel!

A hidden treat inside

Triple Ginger Caramel Cookies
Makes 4 dozen

1 1/2 c butter, softened
1 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c molasses

4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 c finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp salt

14 oz package of individually wrapped caramels
Additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter; add sugar and mix till fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add molasses and mix well.

Combine all dry ingredients, including the grated ginger. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture until combined. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to an hour until it handles easily.

Unwrap caramels and cut each piece in half (aka hamburger style), so that you have two flatter pieces. Take enough dough for a one-inch ball and press it a little flat in your hand. Place one of the divided pieces of caramel in the dough and roll to cover the caramel and so that the caramel is in the middle of the dough. Roll in additional sugar. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Serve plain or with some vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Your home will smell so good when you start baking these ginger cookies!

2 comments:

  1. These look amazing! I love, love ginger cookies and caramel never hurts :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved those ginger snaps too and I've been craving carmel. I wonder if I can make these gluten free... Thanks for the idea!

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