gina depalma

At Babbo, my chewy ginger cookies are a staff favorite. I first made them about ten years ago for the Christmas biscotti assortment, and although decidedly not Italian their popularity drove me to put them on the menu permanently. Every day we bake about a dozen more than par to account for the sticky-finger stealing that goes on when everyone thinks I’m not looking (I am).

I had an annoying craving for something with a bit of chocolate yesterday. I’m not a huge fan of over-the-top chocolate goo, but in smaller doses I find it irresistible. So I decided to convert my original gingersnaps to a chocolate version, and the result was perfect for dunking into a glass of almond milk during the Sunday night TV fix (= Boardwalk Empire).

The spices and molasses are traditional but the added lemon zest is personal. I adore the pairing of lemon with both chocolate and spice, so this particular touch makes these entirely mine. You can leave it out if you like, but give it a chance. The lemon adds zing and lightens the flavor perfectly.

Just be sure to chop the solid chocolate pretty finely, about the size of mini-chips; larger chunks make it hard to form balls and ruin the plump, round shape of the cookie.

Chocolate Chewy Ginger Cookies ~ By Gina DePalma

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

4 teaspoons dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

Freshly grated zest of one medium lemon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup molasses

Additional granulated sugar for coating the cookies

6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, spices and cocoa powder well to remove any lumps and thoroughly combine them and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and vegetable oil together until well combined and fluffy. Beat in the egg, followed by the lemon zest, vanilla and molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Beat in the dry ingredients and chopped chocolate until well combined, forming a firm dough.  Let the dough sit for 15 minutes before shaping and baking. (At this point, the dough can be wrapped tightly and frozen, or stored in the refrigerator in a plastic, air-tight container, for up to a week)

To bake, pinch off enough dough to roll into one-inch balls with your palms.  Roll the balls in the additional granulated sugar to coat the surface evenly and place them on the cookie sheets, spaced about an inch apart.

Bake the cookies in batches for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are puffed, cracked, and firm at the edges. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for three to four minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Store the cookies in an airtight jar or container to keep them soft and chewy.

Makes about 3 ½ dozen cookies.