Ginger Cookies

My ode to autumn!!!!  Oh, and isn't it wonderful???  Our high here today is about 75, mornings and evenings require a jacket.  The leaves here in Chattanooga are just beginning to turn.  It is my favorite time of the year and I only make these cookies in the fall.  Poor Jim, these are his favorites.

The recipe came from a restaurant I worked at in Red Wing, MN.  I've pared down the recipe just a bit (3/4 of the original recipe) because all of the dough just wouldn't fit in my KitchenAid!  Also, their cookies were about twice the size of the ones I make.  I make these for Jim's office, so I need quantity.   Several of the ingredients are listed in weights, so you'll need a scale (preferably digital).  And I weigh each ball of dough so they all bake at the pace.  For the restaurant-sized cookies, I weigh out 60 grams of dough.  For office cookies, I weigh out 34 grams.  Obviously whichever you choose, you'll need to test-bake a batch to get the timing just right.

GINGER COOKIES (makes approximately 7 dozen cookies)

1 pound Crisco
1 pound 6.5 oz granulated sugar
3/4 cup molasses
3 eggs
2 pounds 9 oz AP flour
5 3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cloves

In a KitchenAid mixer, cream the Crisco and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the molasses and eggs.  Mix well.  Add flour, baking soda, and spices and mix until well blended.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Roll the dough into balls (34 gram for home-sized cookies, 60 grams for restaurant-sized cookies).  Roll in raw sugar.  Place 12 balls on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper.  Using two fingers, very gently tamp down the balls, just a bit.  Bake for about 8 minutes then rotate the pan and bake another 4 minutes (adjust timing for larger cookies).  Let cookies cool on a wire rack.

For medium-sized cookies, weigh out 50 grams.  Put 9 cookies on cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes, rotate pan and cook another 6 minutes.  Made 44 cookies.