Chewy Ginger Cookies with Cinnamon Chips

I found the recipe for these de-licious! cookies here at Baking Blonde.  Her blog is great.  It is chock full of yummy treats with simple pictures so you can see how each goodie is just that--GOOD.  She rates her cookies on a scale from 1 to 10 as to how much she liked them and would make them again.  She is always honest with whether she liked a cookie, or recipe, or add-in and I really like that.  Baking Blonde liked these and rated them an 8.5.  I really like these!  They are simple and delicious and simply delicious and really kicked up a notch with the cinnamon chips added. aheh

Chewy Ginger Cookies with Cinnamon Chips, from Baking Blonde, with slight revisions

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (BB used 3/4 t.)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1  1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup molasses

1 cup Hershey's Cinnamon Chips (can be omitted, some say these are hard to find!  But they're GOOD!)

1 cup sugar (for rolling the dough balls)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Sift together first seven ingredients in medium sized bowl.  Set. aside.

In bowl of mixer, beat until well combine and light and fluffy the butter and brown sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add molasses and beat to combine.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix just until combined.  Fold in the cinnamon chips with a spatula.  The dough can be chilled for 20 minutes or so, but is not necessary.  Pour one cup sugar in bowl, form dough balls (mine were about 3/4 oz. each) and toss to coat in sugar.  Place dough balls on baking sheets and bake for 9 minutes (too much longer, for this size and they'll be too crispy.)  Cool on baking sheets for five minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool.  This made 58 cookies.

And THEN, while I was making these my friend Mindy came by and gave me a fun birthday present of all kinds of chocolates on a cute plate (the green one above), to bake yummy things with.  After she left, I saw this chocolate candy bar:

Milk Chocolate Gingerbread Truffle Bar

Of course, I had to chop some up and add it to the remaining dough, which unfortunately was only enough for ten cookies.  The chocolate added a whole new dimension to these ginger cookies.  Loved it!

I thought the lighting for these cookies on the green plate was a bit strange, but this is the only picture of the cookies with chocolate that I have.  These are a perfect cookie!  Go, go now, make some, what are you waiting for?