Really? Ginger Cookies with white chocolate? Do those two taste treats belong together? I had never thought of such a friendship but when a Friend of the Kitchen makes a request I get busy tossing sugar and butter and flour together.
The cookies are made from an old standby Ginger Cookie recipe dating back to at least 1952. I have found this recipe on multiple websites, in junior league cookbooks both old and new, and even in a recently published big league cookbook. Most people give credit to Grandma or Sweet Aunt Sally for the recipe. I attempted to give credit for these childhood favorites to my own Mama. Tempting as it likely was, she refrained from taking credit for herself; she said these cirlces of yummy came from Mrs. Tucker. Mrs. Tucker?
Mrs. Tucker Shortening was widely used in the south in 1952. The recipe was on the back of the can. Granny made the cookies for Mom and Mom made the cookies for me and I made the cookies for my kids and my kids... still come home to eat Mrs. Tucker's Ginger Cookies. They are the ginger cookie standard so far as I am concerned. These cookies are soft and boast a mouth tingling ginger flavor. I add a pinch of black pepper to ramp up the flavor. The original recipe called for shortening but I prefer to use butter. I am sorry Mrs. Tucker, please forgive me, but I prefer the taste of butter. I am not a big fan of shortening.
The white chocolate turned out to be a good idea and none too difficult to do. After melting the Guittard Choc Au Lait Baking Chips I used a sandwich bag with a snipped corner to pipe the melted chips onto the cookies. Easy!
Of course they would have been prettier if I had carefully dipped each circle of yummy into a bowl of melted chips but my sandwich bag piping method was quick. Perfect when a Friend of the Kitchen is waiting to try one.
These cookies received two thumbs up. Sign language works better than words when your mouth is full of ginger cookies.
Mrs. Tucker's Cookies
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
¾ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 whole egg
¼ cup molasses
½ cup sugar for rolling cookie balls
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy. Mix in lightly beaten egg and molasses. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours for easier handling.
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375°.
Measure ½ cup sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Roll chilled dough in walnut sized balls and then and roll each ball in the granulated sugar until well coated. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper or silicon mat lined cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass before baking.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes before gently lifting cookies off pan and onto wire rack to continue cooling.
Let baking sheets cool completely before repeating the process with the remaining dough.
These cookies are great sans white chocolate piping but the white chocolate adds a nice touch. CONFESSION: My favorite white confection is Guittard Choc Au Lait Baking Chips. They are not truly white chocolate...
To melt the baking chips heat them for 30 seconds in the microwave at 50% power. Give them a stir and then continue heating at 30 second intervals stirring often.
Pour the melted chips into a ziplock sandwich bag and zip bag closed. Snip the corner and then pipe melted chips over the cookies.
Yield: 5 dozen cookies