SPICY OLIVE OIL GINGER COOKIES
Inspired by baker extraordinaire David Lebovitz, now living and baking in Paris, these are ginger molasses cookies with some swagger. Extra virgin olive oil replaces the usual butter, while ground and candied ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and a flick of cayenne build layers of warm spice. Rolled in crunchy demerara sugar and finished with Canada's Pacific organic sea salt, they bake up deeply golden, crackled and chewy.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract (artificial will do here)
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp ground ginger
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons demerara sugar
Saltwest Raincoast Flor de Sal sea salt for sprinkling
DIRECTIONS:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), mix granualted and brown sugar, molasses, and EVOO on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg, beating to incorporate fully. Add the egg yolk and mix until homogenous. Mix in the vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together by hand the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the crystallized ginger until just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F. Position rack in the middle. You will be baking in batches.
Place the demerara sugar in a small bowl. Using a large cookie scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop the dough into 12 balls. Working one at a time, roll the balls in the sugar, making sure they are coated generously. Place the cookies about 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Using your palm, flatten the balls to approximately 3 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake the cookies in batches until deeply golden and puffed, 10 to 13 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and bang them on a sturdy, heatproof surface. The domed cookies will collapse and crinkle. Repeat with second pan. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Best eaten within a day.