white chocolate gingersnaps

my fervor for all things christmas is amplified by being a jew.

it’s an obsession. it’s my forbidden fruit. the holiday holds a sort of red & green, pine needle & peppermint-scented allure. when hanukkah rolls around, i have to force myself to stifle reveries of stuffed stockings and santa claus back into a dark corner of my mind, one where sugar plum fairies dance freely and menorahs aren’t a thing.

these cookies are what i fantasize leaving for santa. flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and a little defiance, they scream christmas, both appearance and taste-wise.

adapted from cooking classy

ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp nutmeg, divided
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla
• white chocolate melting wafers
•  red and green food coloring

whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a medium bowl. in a separate bowl, beat the butter with 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). add the egg, then the molasses and vanilla. gradually add the dry mixture. cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for an hour.

preheat oven to 350º. combine the 3 tbsp of sugar with 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a small bowl. roll dough into small balls, then coat in sugar mixture. transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. let cool on sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

melt the white chocolate in the microwave, stirring it every 30 seconds until smooth. dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then return to the parchment-lined sheets to set up. once all of them have been dipped and set, melt some more of the chocolate. dye some of it green and some red, then transfer to two ziplock bags. snip a tiny hole in the bags’ corners, then pipe on holly decorations.