Recipe: Spiced Ginger Oatmeal Drops

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You can buy these treats at One Girl Cookies, or, make them for yourself.

Did you read our profile of Dawn Casale and Dave Crofton from One Girl Cookies today? They shared two recipes from their forthcoming book, One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn’s Beloved Bakery with us. These warm and spicy oatmeal cookies, and an elegant red velvet cake.

Spiced Ginger Oatmeal Drops

Casale writes: I’ve always been a fan of strong, bold flavors. When I eat something, I want to taste it! In the early days of One Girl Cookies, when I was developing the Classic Collection, there was plenty of sweet but not enough spice. I fixed that problem by adding this cookie, which packs a gingery punch. I think there is an “Oh my!” moment when you bite into a little chunk of the candied ginger. It’s an all-grown-up version of a childhood favorite, the oatmeal raisin cookie.

Makes about 30 cookies

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon table salt

1 cup candied ginger, finely chopped

2 1⁄2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Stir in the candied ginger and the oats.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and mix for 30 seconds.

3. Take the mixing bowl off the mixer and finish mixing the dough with a rubber spatula, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or overnight if possible.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

5. Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out a small round of dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons in size. Roll the scoop into a ball between the palms of your hands, and place it on a paper parchment–lined baking sheet. Gently press the ball onto the baking sheet. Repeat, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

6. Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, until they have darkened slightly. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.

Variation

There’s nothing to be ashamed of if you are more of a traditionalist. Don’t be shy—add 3/4 cup of raisins or dried currants when you add the flour to the cookie dough.

On why you chill cookie dough:

When I read the recipe for the Ginger Oatmeal Drops (also known as the Susannah cookie), I noticed that the instructions specified to chill the dough, ideally overnight. As a home baker who enjoys the immediacy of drop cookie, I thought I’d ask Casale and Crofton how dough temperature affects the way cookies come out. In other words, is chilling worth the wait?

“If the dough is day old,” said Crofton, “You’ll have a more flavorful cookie.” Casale added, “It’s like soup, better the next day.”

From a commercial standpoint, Crofton also emphasized that dough is easier to work with at a cooler temperature. “This helps us make cookies that are as similar as possible in size and shape.”

So, if you’re making a lot of cookies, which you may be since it’s the holidays, taking the time to make the dough in advance just might be worth it. Patience is a virtue, even when making these decadent little vices.

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