Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

Bittersweet

After last week's success with focaccia, we're moving on to Cookies!   I don't think I've made cookies since Christmas.  I know, it wasn't that long ago.....but honestly it feels longer.  In Cookie Years (similar to dog years) it is closer to 2 years rather than (less than) 2 months.  Much like the Mayan Calendar, I'm sure my Cookie Calendar will one day be discredited.  But until then, 2 months will equal 2 years.

I hope this recipe is a winner.  I could use a new cookie in my life.  Oh sure, I've got my favourites, but there is always room for another favourite in my recipe box.  Please note:  I don't actually have a recipe box.....that sounds organized and nothing like my actual cookbook/recipe collecting self.  Well, my inner me is totally organized and remembers where all my recipes are.  Unfortunately, in real life my recipe box is my house.  One day I'll get a handle on all the cookbooks and recipes everywhere.  Not today though.....

Now let's get down to the business of cookie making!!

Ingredients are ready to come together.

Dry ingredients looking all...ummm dry.....

Moving to the wet ingredients.  Here is the molasses looking lovely and dark.

Melted chocolate goes in next.

Almost looks like peanut butter and chocolate. (but it isn't....honest...well, other than the chocolate)

Using my favourite spoon, I added the dry mixture to the wet.  This spoon is great for scooping the dry ingredients into the bowl. 

Job well done, spoon.  Though I have to say, it seems like there is way too much of the dry mixture for the amount of wet.

Umm....not to be a baking alarmist, but look at this dough.
Looks more like dirt (dry dirt, not the fancy mud pie variety).  It would be wrong to blame my favourite spoon. (right?)

Seriously, this is some dry looking dough.  Not sure about this at all.  Should a cookie dough be like this??
Does anyone else hear those alarms going off?  It's just inside my head, isn't it?

It went into a disk, but that disk looks like it is falling apart.  (this eye twitch?  Oh it's nothing)
Perhaps chilling it in the fridge will have a positive affect on the dough.




I just have a bad, bad feeling about this....like a 'Sheriff there's a body in the water' bad feeling. (line from Twin Peaks....always seems to be floating around in my head)  That's normal, right?  (unlike this dough)

So even though I had a bad feeling about this cookie dough, I went ahead and baked up a batch.  And sure enough, the dough was still dry when I rolled it out.  And once baked....you guessed it, dry. 

 

 

I didn't even bother making the icing, as it seemed a better cookie to dip. 

Well, what do you do when life gives you a dry cookie?  Why make another batch of cookies of course!!  But unlike my usual course of action -- making the same recipe twice -- I am going to try another recipe.

This cookie is one that Matt wrote about on their Baked website.  He calls them the Tarmac cookies.  And they look so chocolatey and awesome.  Surely these cookies won't let me down.

 

 

Well Hello!

This is only some of the chocolate for the cookies.  Eight ounces of dark chocolate; grated.  And there is still another ten ounces of chocolate chips.  Matt adapted the recipe to include 12 ounces of chocolate chunks.   I went with the original recipe using chocolate chips.  (but only had 10 oz)

 

 

And here is the lovely dough. Now this is a cookie dough I can get behind!  Can't wait to chill this dough and then get the cookies into the oven.



 

 These cookies turned out beautifully.  I couldn't ask for a better cookie.  The peanut butter combined with the oatmeal and chocolate.......perfect.  This cookie is going into the recipe box. 



This is a cookie I want to share with everyone I know and love....absolutely everyone.











So, today would have been my dad's 91st birthday.  Therefore, like my chocolate in this recipe, it is a bittersweet day.  I would love to be able to share my baking successes and even failures with my dad (and mom).  I know they would have gotten a kick out of my baking and blogging adventures.  
So happy birthday Dad....oh and I made oatmeal yesterday....wasn't as good as yours...