These are so chewy and really spicy! You can cut back on the ginger if you want, but it really gives these cookies a punch. Thanks to John for tweaking this recipe to up the protein and lower the fat!
Based on Ina Garten’s recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup AP flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup whey protein powder*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1-1/4 cups crystallized ginger chopped really fine (6 ounces – use less if you’re scared!)
- Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a large bowl, sift together the flours, protein powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. * (If you don’t use protein powder, replace it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour, and use 2 egg whites in place of the water later in the recipe. Also use egg whites if you use brown rice protein instead of whey.)
In an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, applesauce, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low and add the water, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 more minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. The mixture will be wet.
Scoop up the dough with 2 spoons . Roll each piece of dough into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten lightly with your fingers. Roll both sides of each dough ball in granulated sugar and place them on the cookie sheets. Leave lots of room because they spread out a lot while baking.
Bake for 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Cool the cookies for 1 to 2 minutes before transfering to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in a covered container in a single layer or between parchment sheets, as they are so moist they will stick together.
The cookies sound really yummy. I think I would want to eat half a batch though lol.
.-= Dawn´s last blog ..Picking My Goal Weight =-.
OMG, these look soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. On the ginger, I am not good at cutting, slicing, chopping etc. Is there any other alternative to the ginger? I am so not a cook or a baker but I want these!!!!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Weight Loss Help, Sugar, NO and More! =-.
You could leave the ginger in whatever size chunks they come in. I just like the fine chop on them. You could leave the ginger out all together and it would be a mild molasses cookie. Feel free to experiment!
My dad is a ginger cookie man-whore. I can’t wait to try these for him (and so that I can eat them with little guilt!). Thanks, Lori!!
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Consider yourself hugged by a stranger.
I can’t wait to make up a batch. I could lick the screen right now. mmmmmmm cookies.
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Happy Holidays No Pudge Brownies Giveaway =-.
Thank you! I put the ingredients into my recipe builder on the WW website and if the recipe makes 16 cookies, then they are only 3 points each. Yay! Not bad!
Again, thanks for posting the recipe.
.-= Foodie Girl´s last blog ..So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye! =-.
about how many cookies does this recipe make? Trying to figure out my WW points.
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Happy Holidays No Pudge Brownies Giveaway =-.
It depends a little on the size you make them. I think John did 20 cookies or so? I’ll have to ask.
OMG…how could I have forgotten about ginger this holiday season?? I’ll definitely try making these but I plan to sub out the sugar for some Stevia or honey or agave.
BODA weight loss
Oh my goodness, those cookies look amazing! What a great recipe
And I love how your holiday blog design!
.-= Anne K.´s last blog ..Super Special Super Shuttle Shuttler =-.
Lori, Thx for the tips! By the way, this is going on my blog tomorrow!!!!!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Weight Loss Help, Sugar, NO and More! =-.
Thanks, Lori! These sound fantastic!!!
I suppose if one wanted the ginger to blend into the cookies more, one could blend the candied ginger with one of the wet ingredients in the blender. Or perhaps one could freeze the ginger, then shred it using one’s food processor. (I’d try that if we had one, but we don’t.)
Even though I use it to make pancakes, I never thought to sub out some of the flour with whey protein powder in cookies. I could see that working really nicely with other types of cookies, too (such as chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter). Hmmm….
.-= Pubsgal´s last blog ..Weekly Update, 12/16/09 =-.
Looks great!!!
.-= Kimberley´s last blog ..SBD-Day 6 =-.
God – those sound amazing!
One question though – the whey protein powder, is it any flavor? Or unflavored?
.-= PTG1002´s last blog ..another good day!! =-.
I don’t think it really matters if it is flavored or not. I think we had vanilla, but unflavored would do as well.
Im so glad Im not a fan of gingerbread as my child ENTIRELY is and we’ve been baking up a gingerbreabWOMAN storm around here
.-= Miz´s last blog ..A MizFit Hanukkah. =-.
I think that is the one recipe I will try this year–love that they have protein powder AND crystallized ginger in them. Is crystallized ginger the same as candied ginger–not sure what the bag in my cupboard says.
.-= debby´s last blog ..Chai Tea Success! =-.
Candied and crystallized are the same thing!
Those cookies look so delicious. We are doing some baking to give out for Christmas and I think those cookies will fit in nicely! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
.-= Karyn´s last blog ..Bad luck does happen in threes….. =-.
I made Ina’s recipe for work last week and everyone loved them–they especially raved about the crystallized ginger. I’ll definitely have to try this variation. Thanks!
.-= Arianne´s last blog ..So, About that Half… =-.
These look so good! Dumb question: what is “AP flour”?
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Friday Wrap Up =-.
All purpose flour. Just regular old flour
Oh! Well, I figured it was a dumb question, lol! You can also tell how much I bake…I’m saving myself from me!
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Friday Wrap Up =-.
Your gingerbread cookies look delicious! Thanks for sharing