I'd be surprised if beating the butter w/the sugar and molasses, as opposed to by itself, would make any difference. Even though the recipe says not to cut until cool, I'm wondering if cutting them while still warm would reduce the crumbliness. You could try cutting while warm but not actually separating them until they cooled. (?) The ingredients sound wonderfully tasty, but the 1/2 cup of cornstarch is a bit surprising to me. Can that be right? This could be one of those cases where the next issue of the magazine says " In our last issue, in the recipe for Ginger Cookies, the ingredients should have read one half teaspoon cornstarch, instead of 1/2 cup." LOL

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.

I've had this recipe for many years. It is from a family friend and is a treasured recipe in her Swedish family. Pepparkokor Makes 6 dozen cookies 1 cup butter 1 1/2 cup white sugar 1 Tblsp molasses 2 tsp. baking soda 1 egg 3 1/4 cups white flour 1 Tblsp ground Cinnamon 1 Tblsp ground Ginger 1 Tblsp ground Cloves All the juice and grated rind of one large orange (4 oz.) Mix flour, baking soda, and spices; cream butter with sugar; add molasses and egg; add dry ingredients; mix until well blended. Add Orange Juice and grated Orange Rind; mix well. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/8 inch; cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Move to greased cookie sheets and bake at 350ú F for 8 minutes or until brown. Cool and store. Notes: The spice amounts are correct as written. They keep for a long time if tightly stored. The flavor improves with age.

Oh, she is so sweet, Punk. Love it! That is right up my alley--just the kind of project that brings a big smile to my face. ;o) You did a great job on it, those cookies look good enough to eat! The copper was a good choice, goes really well with the gingerbread girl. This would be darling in a little candy vignette on your kitchen counter. Luvs