These are my second favorite cookies of all time* - no joke. They’re chewy in the middle and crispy at the edges, sweet and spiced in all the right ways. Fantastic by themselves, even better with a cup of tea or coffee, and ice cream BEGS to be stuffed between them.
I’m not going to say anymore except that if you want to make some freakin’ PHENOMENAL cookies, and you want people to flip out at your baking skills, drop what you’re doing and hit the kitchen with this recipe stat.
Happy Baking!
*#1 are these guys
Adapted from My Baking Addiction and Beyond Frosting
MAKES 18 Cookies
INGREDIENTS/SUPPLIES
3.5 cups flour (420g)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1.25 cups white sugar (250g)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (103g)
2.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (don’t skip it!)
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
stand mixer
2-3 large cookie sheets & parchment
food scale or cookie scoop (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 420g flour (3.5c), 1/2tsp baking soda, 1/2tsp cream of tartar, and 1/2 tsp salt - set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 250g sugar (1.25c), 103g dark brown sugar (.5c), 2.5tsp cinnamon, 1tsp ginger, 1tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp allspice, and 1/4tsp black pepper. Separate 1/4 cup of the mixture and set it aside for later (to roll the cookie dough balls in it!)
In your stand mixer, cream (beat on medium-high) 2 sticks butter and the rest of the sugar/spice mixture for about 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add 2 egg and 1/2tsp vanilla, and mix on medium-high 6-7 minutes until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
Mix in the dry ingredients on low until just barely no traces of flour are left - scrape down the sides and mix on low for 10 more seconds.
In order to make the cookies look uniform, you need to scoop the batter either with a cookie scoop or by weight. I use a 2” cookie scoop to make 19 cookie dough balls. Scoop the dough balls onto a wax paper or parchment lined cookie sheet - it’s okay if they’re close together; you’re not going to bake them yet.
If you want to bake them soon, wrap the sheet in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze at least one hour, preferably two, up to overnight. If you want to save the dough to bake another day, put the cookie sheet in the freezer (you don’t need to cover it) and 1 hour later transfer the dough balls to a freezer ziplock bag. The dough will keep for up to 6 months, possibly longer. DO NOT BAKE THE COOKIES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Chilling is a must. When you’re ready to bake, heat your oven to 350F.
Take out one tray’s worth of cookies to roll in your reserved sugar/spice mixture, then arrange the cookies a minimum of 3” apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes if the dough has been refrigerated or brought to room temperature, or 12-14 minutes if you’re baking them from frozen. Don’t overbake! You want the cookies to be nicely crispy on the outside/edges, but still chewy in the middle. Or…at least, I do.
Repeat steps 8 & 9 for one sheet of cookies at a time (i.e. don’t take cookie dough balls out of the fridge/freezer until you’re ready to roll them in the sugar/spice and put them on the tray and into the oven.
Cool the cookies completely on their baking sheets, and enjoy!