My grandmother loved to bake. There was always an endless supply of homemade cookies or some other Scandinavian treat at her house. Thankfully, she passed the art and love of baking on to me and despite the peril to my waistline, it remains one of my favorite hobbies today. My grandmother collected many recipes and cookbooks -- mostly Lutheran Church Basement cookbooks. This chewy gingersnap cookie recipe is adapted from one I found in these old cookbooks. It's perfect for the holiday season or any time of year, really.

Chewy Gingersnap Cookies

Makes 3 dozen.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger (optional - it gives the cookies a great zing, however)
• Granular sugar for rolling

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. Cream the butter and brown sugar. 3. Add the molasses and egg and mix until incorporated. 4. Add the dry ingredients and blend thoroughly. 5. Mix in the candied ginger. 6. Place the dough in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. You want the butter to harden a bit for easy shaping. 7. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and roll in the sugar. 8. Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until just set and starting to crack. 9. Cool on a wire rack.