Lemon Ginger Drop Cookies

Cathy loves ginger and Cathy loves lemon.  So, over the years, I have made ginger cookies as well as lemon cookies for her. This year, I decided to combine the two flavors and send them to her on her birthday.  She says these are now her favorite cookies.

I had lemons as well as crystallized ginger but no molasses, a common ingredient in the chewier ginger snap. I perused the cookbook collection for a recipe that was molasses-free and came across this one in an old Martha Stewart cookbook.

The lemon zest ensures a real lemony flavor and the crystallized ginger adds the necessary chew to this otherwise crisp and delicate cookie.  Bet you can’t eat just one.

Lemon Ginger Drop Cookies

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 large egg

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup diced (1/8 inch) crystallized ginger

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside.

2. In an electric mixer, use paddle to mix butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl twice. Add egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add zest; mix to combine.

3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.

4. Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of batter on baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle cookies with sugar, rotate sheets between oven shelves, and bake until just golden, about 7 minutes more. Slide parchment with cookies onto a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.