113grams (½ cup; 4 ounces)unsalted butter, room temperature
100 grams (½ cup)granulated sugar
100grams (½ cup)brown sugar, packed
1largeegg, room temperature
113grams (⅔ cup) molasses (NOT blackstrap)
1teaspoonbaking soda
2grams (½ teaspoon)kosher salt
2teaspoonsfresh ginger, finely grated
1 ½teaspoonsground ginger
1teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground cloves
50grams (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons)Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
210grams (1¾ cups)all purpose flour
170grams (1 cup; 6 ounces)dark chocolate, chopped (I used 72%)
100grams (½ cup)granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium and continue mixing until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula.
Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed until fully blended. Scrape down bowl.
50 grams (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons) Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
Add the flour and baking soda and mix on low speed until just a few streaks of flour remain.
210 grams (1¾ cups) all purpose flour
Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer and add chopped chocolate. Use your spatula to fold in the last bits of flour and to distribute the chocolate pieces throughout the dough. Do not over mix.
170 grams (1 cup; 6 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped (I used 72%)
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 1½ tablespoon balls (approximately the size of a standard sized store-bought marshmallow) and place dough in tight rows onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Place dough balls in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. *Note - if dough is too warm to scoop easily, reverse the chilling step and chill first, then scoop. This will depend on your butter temperature and the ambient temperature of your kitchen.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C, Gas Mark 4) with rack in center of oven. Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar, covering thoroughly. Store sugar-coated dough balls in fridge until ready to bake to keep dough chilled.
100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar, for rolling
Evenly space 8 balls of sugar-covered dough onto a parchment lined half sheet baking pan. (I do two rows of 3, plus 2 in the center). Bake each sheet for 11-12 minutes. This will result in a cookie that is chewy and still moist. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.How do you get perfectly round cookies?
Use a cookie scoop. My go-to is a medium sized, 1 ½ tablespoon scoop (size 40).
Immediately after removing cookies from oven, when still warm and pliable, place a round cookie cutter around the cookie and gently swirl it around to push the cookie back into a round shape. You can also flip a round drinking glass upside down and use the rim.
See equipment section of Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie recipe post online for more details.