Christmas Cookies - Four of Four - Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

When I went about selecting what cookies I wanted to bake for the great 2011 Christmas bake-off I considered the desires of some of the people I love the most. For my mom I included my icing sugar cookies, for my love I hooked him up with the lemon ricotta cookies, for me (come on, is it bad to love yourself - if I don't love me who will) I experimented and won with the double chocolate almond cookies. Finally for the first man-love of my life I decided to play into my dad's love of ginger snaps.

For him I tried a Bon Appetit recipe for Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies. At first bite they zing your taste buds. Delish!

Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground allspice
A pinch (small or not small) of cracked or coarsely ground black pepper - the more you add, the more kick in the cookie
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
Sugar for rolling

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cracker pepper, set aside. Beat butter till smooth and creamy, add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for two minutes to blend. Add the egg and beat for another minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients gradually, ovoid over beating. Divide the dough in half, wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Heat over to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mat. Put the sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into balls and then roll around in sugar. Place them on a cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down the cookies until they are between 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies feel set to the touch. Cool cookies on rack.