The Wright Place: My Favorite Cookie of 2011

I've just rolled the last batch of snickerdoodles...ALONE. The factory workers went on strike and really, I can't blame them. This year they produced nearly 500 snickerdoodles. So, when one more batch was requested by the Chief Elf, I decided to go it alone.

Before that final batch of snickerdoodles was produced, however, I happened on to another type of cookie that piqued my interest. My favorite cookie of 2011 is a fun twist on a cookie that we all know and love, the Peanut Butter Blossom.{Recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms pictured below HERE}

I have never made Peanut Butter Blossoms, they are my sister's signature cookie, and mine will never be as tasty or as perfect as hers, so...I found a cookie that will look adorable on the cookie platter with the Peanut Blossoms on my mom's cookie platter. Enter the White-Chocolate-Kissed Ginger Cookie.

This little bite of heaven is brought to you by the McCormick Spice folks and if anyone knows ginger cookies, I figure it should be the good people of McCormick.

Unfortunately, making this cookie required still more rolling of cookie dough into sugar just like ye old snickerdoodle. My chances of getting help with this cookie? Slim. Very. Slim.

What is a girl to do?

The first thing to do, of course, was to make the dough and get it into the fridge while I looked for a helper that was not yet cookied-out.

Here's what you'll need:
{Printable Recipe From McCormick Here}

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sulfured molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 bag of Hershey's Hugs (white & milk chocolate swirled kisses)

Here's what to do:

First, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to blend well.

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine butter and brown sugar. Mix until fluffy.

Add molasses, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until combined.

Shape the dough into a thick, flat disc and place in plastic wrap in the refridgerator for at least an hour.

While you are waiting for dough to chill, preheat the oven to 350˚ then send out a request for help baking because after the dough is chilled, it will be time to roll those ginger cookies in sugar.

My one volunteer. She loves ~~baking with her mamma~~ playing in sugar!

Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in sugar.

Place cookies in oven and while they are baking, remove the wrapping from the chocolates.

Bake the ginger cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until they just begin to brown and crack a bit. Cookie should spring back a bit when touched when finished baking.