I was so blase about finding this recipe, I figured I can easily find this on line in the LOL website. Ooops. I almost panicked, and went thru each listed recipe to see if it was the one. My kids had been clamoring for the first of the silly mommy's traditional cookies....I implored them, can I make something else this year? The three of them all put on their basset hound eyes, "you might as well cancel the christmas..," said the oldest.
I had to dig thru my piles of recipe cut outs. Whew, must blog it now before I totally lose this along with the rest of my mind...This is exceptionally chewy-crisp, and rich and spicy in a kid-friendly way. If you have kids in your life, this is the cookie to win them over if they need bribing, console them if they're feeling sunk; the one to make them say "you're the best mommy ever" and make you feel all pumped up about yourself :)
Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl: 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 & 1/2 tsps. baking soda, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Set aside.
Cream 1 & 1/4 cups sugar, 1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temp. in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Add 1 egg, 1 tbsp. of molasses, 2 tbsps. of dark corn syrup, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into round ball. Flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. Wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with 3 to 4-in cookie cutters and lift gently up into ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart. (at this point you may add pearl sugar, as we did in photo, or "jimmies" as candy bits are called in Boston.)
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until set.
Let stand 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheets into wire racks and cool completely. (Sift powdered sugar over cookies-optional.) Makes about 6 dozen cookies. Great for giving away.
