How do you make ginger cookies with fresh ginger?

The best way to incorporate fresh ginger into cookies is to add it to the wet ingredients, such as the butter, sugar, and eggs.

How can I make a really gingery cookie?

Use multiple kinds of ginger in your cookies, such as fresh, ground, and candied ginger.

Can you use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger in cookies?

Yes, you can use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger in cookies. The flavor may be a little different, but it'll still taste of ginger. Use a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and add it when combining the wet ingredients.

Is fresh ginger better than frozen?

Both fresh and frozen ginger are good for cooking and baking. One isn't necessarily better than the other as long as the frozen ginger isn't too old, as it will lose flavor over time. Use an equal amount of frozen ginger for fresh in your recipes.

Ginger Cookies With Fresh Ginger

Description

With crisp edges, chewy centers, and bursts of spicy-sweet ginger in every bite, these ginger cookies with fresh ginger balance between comforting nostalgia with bold flavor.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger root
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup coarse or sparkling sugar

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Instructions

Start with the wet ingredients. Add the butter, molasses, and sugars to a large bowl and use a mixer on medium speed to beat until creamy. After a couple of minutes, stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and then continue for another minute or until smooth and fluffy. Then, add the egg and the fresh grated ginger to the bowl and mix until combined.
Now prep the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and pepper. Add this flour mixture and the candied ginger to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, as you mix on low or by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon. Stir the dough until the flour is completely incorporated.
Shape the dough. Dump the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured counter. It'll be soft, but that's ok. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape them into rough logs about two inches wide and eight inches long. Set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and stick in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. If you want to prep the dough and bake the cookies later, cover the dough with plastic wrap and stick it in a bag or container until ready to use.
Prep and slice the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange the two oven racks in the top third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and pour the ¼ cup of sparkling sugar onto a small plate. Remove the cookie logs from the fridge, roll them around on the counter to round them out, then slice them into rounds about 3/4 inch wide. Press the top of each cookie into the sugar, then place on the baking sheet. You should be able to fit about eight per sheet.
Bake. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes for a cookie that's crisp on the edges and chewy in the center. Bake another couple of minutes for a more crisp cookie. Either way, they'll be soft at first, so let them cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. They’ll continue to crisp as they cool. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

Don't need all these cookies at once? Store the logs of dough in the freezer, slice off cookies, and bake as you like. Just add two to three minutes to the baking time.

Instead of sparkling sugar, try any kind of coarse decorating sugar.

You can save some sparkling sugar to sprinkle on the cookies after they are out of the oven for even more crunchy sugar.

Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes resting time)
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Category: Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American