Extreme Triple-Ginger Cookies

These cookies are for the serious ginger lover. They're not as "hot" as you might think, but they are extraordinarily addictive. I've been making them for more than 20 years as part of cookie gift platters. At holiday time, friends and family members start asking "Have you made the ginger cookies yet?" They age well, with the spice profile becoming richer as they sit around...if they last that long. I usually make a quadrupled batch at the holidays.

Extreme Triple-Ginger Cookies

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Scant 1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
finely grated zest of one (Meyer) lemon
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, fine
2 - 3 teaspoons powdered ground ginger (make sure your jar is fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 - 4 oz. finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 - 1/2 cup large sparkling crystal sugar or just plain sugar for rolling

Combine the butter and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg, molasses and grated ginger.
Sift the flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and salt together onto a piece of parchment. Add to the butter mixture in 2 batches, beating just until combined. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sparkling sugar in a pie plate. Shape the dough into walnut-size balls and roll in the sugar to coat. Arrange 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets and bake until cracked and dry but still soft, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cool on wire racks.