Winter Twila Issue [Cookie Exchange Tips] & Double Chocolate Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

From now until Christmas, I'll be coming at you with tons and tons of COOKIES. To kick things off, I wanted to talk about the latest issue of Twila, an online magazine. You might remember how I held my first cookie exchange party last year (read about it here). Within Twila's winter issue, you can read my article about how to plan your own! This issue was released a few weeks ago, so I'm a little behind the times BUT it's once again filled with tons of fun and useful stuff for holiday life. There are articles about holiday fashion, gift giving, decorating, and even how to manage your mental health this time of year!

Along with my tips of cookie swap success, I included included two recipes for some great cookie exchange options. However, my favorite part of the article was the section on how to package your cookies! There are so many options, aside from a plastic sandwich bag. Why not wrap them up in something beautiful and inspired? You'll have to click and read to learn more :)

The two recipes I shared were for almond raspberry thumbprints and double chocolate chewy gingerbread cookies. The thumbprints are a great option for a number of reasons: they are vegan with a gluten-free option, and the ingredient list is fairly simple with no added processed sugar (just honey & agave nectar!). The double chocolate chewy cookies were new to my list of cookies. I'm a huge fan of gingerbread and chocolate separately, and together sounded like a delicious twist. 

Uh hello! It actually ended up being another match made in heaven!

The dough for these cookies is heavy on molasses and fairly sticky, so it requires refrigeration before rolling them in sugar and baking (an important step!). I also opted to use chopped chocolate instead of chips, which I loved. There were huge chunks of chocolate interspersed with little nuggets, so each cookie was different! These cookies were so soft, chewy, spicy...I think you'll love them!

Another fun fact: there are no eggs in this recipe! I think it must be the molasses that helps keep things together. Oh what I would give to understand all the science behind baking...

You'll be hearing from me again on Wednesday for the 2013 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap post and roundup!

Double Chocolate Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Servings: 2-3 dozen, depending on size

1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp flour1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsps boiling water
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate, chopped (I used ½ milk and ½ dark, total amount and types can be based on personal preference)
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

• Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa together into a medium bowl. Place the butter and grated fresh ginger in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until the butter is fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add brown sugar, followed by molasses, and beat until combined. 
• In a small bowl, stir the baking soda into the boiling water until dissolved. Pour half of the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture and mix until combined. Add the baking soda-water mixture, beat and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Beat until dough is completely combined. Lastly, add in chopped chocolate. Wrap dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and place another sheet on top. Flatten the dough to a 1-inch thickness. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove the dough from the fridge and tear off chunks of the dough to roll into balls (I used a medium cookie scoop). The dough will get sticky, so work quickly and don’t over-handle it. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat completely, then set on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. 
• Place baking sheet in fridge or freezer for 3-5 minutes, if the dough has warmed up too much after being handled. Remove and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the surfaces begin to crack. Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes: Slightly Adapted from Martha Stewart, found on Use Real Butter