In which a seasonal favorite gets an update and a new name

 I think it's fair to blame the Bake Off for my new interest in 

tampering with tried-and-true recipes.

After all, if people can experiment with recipes on international television, why shouldn't I mess around a bit in my own kitchen? 

So it was that, when contemplating my favorite seasonal bake, I thought, I wonder if gingerbread cookies would be better if I added just a smidge of chocolate?

As with any herd of horses, these "standardbread cookies" vary in color and conformation

And while I'm at adding chocolate, why not a sprinkle of gourmet salt as well?

My goal:  a spicy crisp gingery, not-too-sweet molasses flavor with just a light hit of chocolate and a sparkle of salt.

It took a few trial runs, but I think I've got it!

Here's the recipe, subject to change at a moment's notice:

                        Salted Chocolate "Gingerbred" Cookies

3 cups flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

Run all this through the food processor until it's well-mixed.

Then, cut the butter into 12 or more chunks and drop into the processor and pulse. Basically, you're dispersing the butter into the dry ingredients as if making a pie crust, so avoid blending the hell out of it by using the pulse setting.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1.5 sticks) at room temperature

The butter doesn't need to be soft (and don't melt it), but it will disperse more evenly if it's a little bit soft.

Now, for a little bit of liquid.

3/4 cup molasses, mixed with 2 tablespoons milk

Mix the molasses and milk together, and then, with the food processor running on low speed, dribble the liquid in until the mixture just barely starts to stick together.

Refrigerate or use this dough immediately.  You could probably even wrap it in plastic and freeze it.

When you're ready to use it, let the dough come to room temperature, and then roll it very thin.  How thin?  How crisp do you want your cookies?  I like very crisp cookies, so I make it very thin.  If you like thicker, chewier cookies, roll the dough out thicker.  That seems fair.

Cut out your shapes, place on parchment-covered-cookie sheets, sprinkle lightly with salt flakes, and bake.  

325 degre  11 minutes for small cookies, 12 minutes for larger cookies.   You can re-roll leftover dough and cut more shapes.  

Sprinkles of salt add sparkle and lovely flavor

Pro tip:  move the pepper grinder that feels exactly like the salt grinder
FAR AWAY FROM YOUR WORK SPACE,

Do not put pepper on cookies.  It is yukky.

The annual Gift of Stories will begin this year on December 22nd, and continue through the end of the year.  Come back and visit again soon!