A few weeks ago, on a bit of a whim, Heather and I decided it was time to move back to Providence! We’re so excited for our return to the Creative Capital in just two weeks, but moving can be stressful and time-consuming. My apologies for neglecting you just a bit lately. Will these ridiculously yummy cookies make it better?

I recently stumbled upon Minimalist Baker, a blog that is a beautiful combination of recipes and food photography, plus some helpful food blog/photog tips. When I laid eyes on the recipe for these little cookies, I couldn’t resist!

Perhaps you’ve already noticed that I have a thing for candied ginger. I like to sneak it into my quick breads, baked oatmeal, and granola. Well, Dana’s recipe actually includes a candied ginger how-to, which brought on one of those why-didn’t-I-think-of-that? moments. I was short on time, so I went with my stash of Penzeys candied ginger, but I’ll get you next time, Gadget!

Candied Ginger + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies – (slightly) adapted from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• pinch salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar in the raw
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
• sea salt flakes

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In your standing mixer, cream butter and sugars together. Then add egg and vanilla and mix again.
3. Sift dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing as you go.
4. Fold in chocolate chunks and chopped candied ginger.
5. Scoop into rounded one tablespoon balls and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle sea salt flakes on top of each cookie.
6. Bake for about 8-9 minutes or until set in the middle – they should hardly be brown (mine were a little browner than I’d like, so keep a close eye!).
7. Leave on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container or bag for up to 4 days.

In case you couldn’t guess by the amount of flour called for, this makes a small batch (25-30 cookies) – the perfect size for sharing with your book club AND having one with breakfast.

My cookies were delicious, but not quite as fluffy as Dana’s original version. I’m pretty sure that I forgot to add the extra 2 tablespoons of flour (this is, apparently, a recurring problem of mine), so perhaps that had something to do with it. No matter – these flavors are perfect! Can you really go wrong with dark chocolate, sea salt, and sweet, spicy ginger? No, you cannot.

Enjoy!