desserts
Big Soft Ginger Cookies
These Big Soft Ginger Cookies are everything a classic ginger cookie should be: thick, chewy, and warmly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. A rich dough made with butter (or shortening), molasses, and raisins is rolled in sparkling sugar before baking, creating crackly tops and tender centers that stay soft for days. Perfect with a cup of tea, a holiday cookie tray, or as an anytime cozy treat, these cookies fill the kitchen with nostalgic gingerbread aroma and disappear almost as fast as they cool.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup butter, softened (or shortening)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup raisins
Rolling Sugar
- 1/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave them ungreased, as preferred.
- Cream butter and sugar with spices In a large mixing bowl, beat **3/4 cup softened butter (or shortening)** with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add **1 cup granulated sugar**, **2 teaspoons ground ginger**, **1 teaspoon baking soda**, **3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon**, and **1/2 teaspoon ground cloves**. Beat until the mixture is well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add egg and molasses Beat **1 large egg** and **1/4 cup molasses** into the butter-sugar-spice mixture until fully combined and smooth.
- Add flour and raisins Gradually beat in as much of the **2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour** as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a spoon, then stir in **1/2 cup raisins** until evenly distributed through the dough.
- Shape and coat dough balls Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls using the mixed dough (you should get about 24 balls). Place **1/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar** in a shallow bowl and roll each 1 1/2-inch dough ball in the sugar to coat. Arrange the sugared dough balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake and cool Bake the cookies at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until they are light brown but still puffed (do not overbake). Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Cookies should look slightly puffed and set at the edges but still soft in the center when removed from the oven; they will firm up as they cool.
- For extra sparkle and crunch, use coarse or sanding sugar for rolling.
- If the dough seems too soft to roll, chill it for 20–30 minutes before shaping.
- These cookies travel and freeze well, making them perfect for sharing or holiday cookie trays.