I made these this year and they were excellent - and they were chewy despite the "crackle" in the name. Alexa Double Ginger Crackles 10 oz. (2-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 2-3/4 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. table salt 6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 1/4 cup molasses 3 Tbs. finely chopped crystallized ginger Tip: For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you donâÂÂt have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups. ________________________________________ Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350ðF. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer (a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand-held) on medium-high speed until well blended. Add the egg, molasses, and crystallized ginger; beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended. Pour the remaining 1/3 cup sugar into a shallow bowl. Using a 1-Tbs. cookie scoop, a small ice cream scoop, or two tablespoons, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Set the balls 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until the cookies are puffed and the bottoms are lightly browned, 12 to 14 min. If you touch a cookie, it should feel dry on the surface but soft inside. The surface cracks will look a bit wet. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 5 min. and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. When cool, store in airtight containers. Ginger flavor intensifies with time, making these cookies excellent candidates for long keeping. When stored in an airtight container, the cookies remain impressively delicious for up to five days from baking. Well wrapped, the cookies will keep for several weeks in the freezer.

Our health food store has crystalized ginger in bulk and is cheaper than any I've seen anywhere else. I use a lot of it as I put it in my ginger snap cookie recipe. The tastiest I've had has been the chocolate covered crystalized ginger from Trader Joe's. Good thing the closest one is over 200 miles from me!

This is an Alton Brown recipe that I've been using for several years. Note that except for the teaspoon/tablespoon measurements everything else is a weighed measurement. They come out perfect every time...love them!! Ginger Snaps Ingredients 9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon ground clove 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 7 ounces dark brown sugar 5 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature 3 ounces molasses, by weight 1 large egg, room temperature 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger 4 ounces finely chopped candied ginger Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, clove and salt. Place the brown sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the molasses, egg and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add the crystallized ginger and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined. With a 2-teaspoon sized scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment lined half sheet pan approximately 2-inches apart. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to stay on the sheet pan for 30 seconds before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with all of the dough. Store in an airtight container for up 10 days. If desired, you may scoop and freeze the cookie dough on a sheet pan and once frozen, place in a resealable bag to store. Bake directly from the freezer as above.

I have quite a few refrigerator cookie recipes that I found for last Xmas when I needed so many at various times throughout the season. Black-and-White Cookies Makes about 5 dozen cookies. These cookies are known as icebox, or refrigerator, cookies. This type of cookie is made by forming dough into a log or rectangular block and chilling it thoroughly. You can also use different types of dough togethervanilla and chocolate, peanut butter and chocolateÂto make patterned cookies. Cookies are then sliced off the log or block and baked. When slicing the dough, give the log or block a quarter turn after every half dozen or so slices to keep the cookies perfectly square or round. 2 cups all-purpose flour 1?2 cup sugar Pinch of salt 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut  into small pieces 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk 1?2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 Tbs. unsweetened Dutch process  cocoa powder In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces in 2 additions, pulsing after each addition, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and pulse until the dough holds together. Divide the dough in half. Transfer one-half to a lightly floured work surface and knead in the cocoa until incorporated. Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out each dough half into a 3-by-9-inch rectangle, 1?2 to 3?4 inch thick; trim the edges to even out. Place each rectangle on a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the whole egg until blended. Set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a sharp knife, cut each rectangle into 4 strips about 3?4 inch wide (you should have 4 strips of each color). Arrange 2 chocolate strips and 2 plain strips in a checkerboard pattern, brushing the beaten egg between the strips and gently pressing them together. Repeat with the remaining dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and use a knife to square off the edges of each block. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Remove the blocks from the refrigerator, unwrap and cut each crosswise into slices 1?4 inch thick. Place them 1 1?2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies feel firm when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Holiday Ginger Cookies 1 1/4 c. sugar 1 c. butter softened 1 egg 3 T. molasses 1 t. vanilla 3 c. flour 2 t. cinnamon 1 t. ginger 1/2 t. baking soda 1/4 t. salt Frosting 3 c. powdered sugar 1/3 c. butter softened 1 t. vanilla 1 to 2 T. milk Combine first five cookie ingredients in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1 to 2 hours). Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut out cookies. (I do not like to roll and cut cookies, so I just rolled them in nice loaves and sliced 1/8 inch cookies. Also do not use the frosting.) Bake 6-9 minutes at 375 degree oven. Quick to make and a mild ginger taste. Land O Lakes Soft Baking Butter box. White Chocolate Raspberry Slices Cynthia Monroe, Manchester, CA Cynthia Monroe won a blue ribbon at the Mendocino County fair for these pretty, easy-to-make cookies. PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes, plus about 1 hour to cool MAKES: 3 dozen cookies About 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla About 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup raspberry jam 2 ounces white chocolate, chopped 1. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1/2 cup butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in 1 1/4 cups flour, then beat until dough comes together. 2. Divide dough into thirds. On a floured surface, with the palms of your hands, roll each portion into a 9-inch-long rope about 1 inch thick. Place ropes 3 inches apart on a buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheet. Press your finger into dough to make 1/2-inch-wide indentations at 1-inch intervals along each rope. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon jam into each indentation. 3. Bake ropes in a 350° regular or convection oven until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet. 4. Place white chocolate in a plastic sandwich bag, pushing to one corner; secure bag just above chocolate with a twist-tie or knot. Immerse corner of bag in a cup of hot water until chocolate is melted. Dry bag, then, with scissors, cut off the tip of the corner. Squeeze bag to drizzle white chocolate decoratively across ropes. Chill until chocolate is firm to touch, about 1 hour, then cut each rope diagonally into 12 slices. SANTA'S WHISKERS This slice and bake cookie filled with cherries and pecans is rolled in coconut. The cookie's name has been passed through generations of bakers. Preparation 40 min.  Chilling 1 hrs.  Baking 12 min.  Ingredients: *  1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened* *  1/2 cup sugar *  1/2 cup powdered sugar *  1 egg *  1 teaspoon vanilla *  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour *  1 1/2 cups red and/or green candied cherries, halved *  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour *  1 cup coarsely chopped pecans *  3 cups sweetened flaked coconut Instructions: Combine butter, sugar, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add 2 1/4 cups flour. Continue beating until well mixed. Combine cherries and 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl; toss to coat. Stir in cherry mixture and pecans by hand; mix well. Shape dough into 3 (10x1 1/2-inch) rolls on plastic food wrap. Roll each in 1 cup coconut. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm (1 hour). Heat oven to 350°F. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. *Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil right from the refrigerator. Yield:  10 dozen cookies SLICE & BAKE SHORTBREAD COOKIES Form the refrigerated cookie dough roll into a variety of geometric shapes: circles, squares or triangles. Preparation 40 min.  Chilling 2 hrs.  Baking 7 min.  Ingredients: *  1 cup LAND O LAKES? Butter, softened* *  1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar *  1 teaspoon vanilla *  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour *  1/2 cup sugar *  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Instructions: Combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat, scraping bowl often, until mixture leaves side of bowl and forms a smooth, soft dough. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 6x2-inch round log. Wrap each log in plastic food wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 375°F. Cut logs into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned on edges. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll warm cookies in cinnamon-sugar mixture. VARIATION: Marbled Slice & Bake Shortbread Cookies: Melt 2 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate** in 1-quart saucepan over low heat; cool 5 minutes. Prepare dough as directed above. Remove half of dough from bowl; set aside. To remaining dough in bowl, add cooled melted chocolate. Beat at low speed just until mixed. Divide white and chocolate doughs into 2 pieces each. Shape each piece into a 6-inch log. Press and mold together 1 white and 1 chocolate log to create marbled effect. Shape marbled dough into 6-inch log. Repeat with remaining 2 pieces of dough. Wrap each log in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Slice and bake as directed above. Roll warm cookies in 1/2 cup sugar. *Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil right from the refrigerator. **Substitute 1/3 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled. Yield:  3 1/2 dozen cookies Vanilla Nut Ice Box Cookies 1/2 c. shortening 1/4 c. Br sugar (firmly packed) 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 t. b. powder 2 c. flour 1/8 t. salt 1 c. chopped nuts 1 1/2 t. vanilla Cream sugar, shortening, eggs. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Pour out on board and roll to shape of log and chill. Slice. Bake 425 degrees for approx. 10 minutes. Makes 3 1/2 doz. If wrapped in waxed paper, dough will keep several days. WALNUT BUTTER COOKIES The dough for these simple cookies can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to two days before being sliced and baked. 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 1 large egg 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped Powdered sugar Sift flour and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in walnuts. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 8-inch-long, 1 1/2-inch-wide log. Wrap each log in waxed paper and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut dough logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds 1 inch apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Bake until cookies are light golden around edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Place powdered sugar in shallow dish. Turn cookies in powdered sugar to coat completely. Cool on racks. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container.) Makes about 4 dozen.  Bon Appétit November 1998 Rugelah Dough 8 oz. small curd cottage cheese 8 oz. softened sweet (unsalted) butter 2 cups flour Mix butter and cottage cheese. Add flour. Mix like for pastry using cutter or forks. Form into 6-7" flat square. Refrigerate overnight or at least several hours. Cut chilled dough square into 3 equal sections. (Re-refrig. other 2 sections.) Roll out the section between an 18 inch length of wax paper folded in half lengthwise. Rolling the dough the length only brings the dough to about 4" wide by about 14" long and 1/8th inch thick. (Keep chilled, handles easier.) Filling 8 oz. seedless raspberry jam 8 oz. raisins 8 oz. walnuts Chop raisins and walnuts together in food processor (or grind together in meat grinder.) Spread each rolled-out dough with 2 heaping tsps. of the jam. Spread 1/3rd of the nut/raisin mixture evenly over dough. Using the wax paper to help, roll-up dough jellyroll style - about a 1 1/2 roll - @. page 1 of 2 page 2 of 2 Topping 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 Tblsp. sugar Mix together and sprinkle generously over top of each log. Roll the log up in the self-same wax paper and refrigerate for at least one hour. Baking Preheat oven to 375º F. Remove one log from frig.; unroll and cut log into one inch pieces; place on parchment covered cookie sheet so turned-under part is down and "roll" is standing upright - @ . Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely . Repeat for other 2 logs. Makes about 45 cookies from 3 logs. Hope these help