Soft and Chewy Ginger Snap Cookies

Sunday morning my mom and step-dad, Jon, drove to Houston for Jon's upcoming surgery. We were all pretty shaken up about the whole situation, so to wish them well I decided to make them ginger snap cookies. I thought these would be perfect because for one, they would still taste great after a few days at the hospital and two, my mom and Jon are actually obsessed with all things ginger: candied ginger, gingerbread, ginger rice, ginger cookies, ginger beer (I could go on and on). I have trouble with scary/emotional stuff like this, so baking for people is the only way I really know how to express how I feel. Its basically the only thing that really feels right. Because what do you say really? All I can think of is "it will all be fine. have a cookie."

But regardless of why you are baking cookies, this recipe is definitely a keeper and perfect for the holiday season. I can't wait to make more when I go back home. I would make them at school but molasses isn't an ingredient one generally keeps in a college kitchen cabinet....

(and the crazy part of it all is, I really don't like ginger. at all! but I love these cookies) 

Chewy Sugar Cookies

So last year I fell in love with the sugar cookies at the Colonnades Dining Hall at Elon. I actually couldn't leave without taking at least two, maybe three of them every time they caught my eye. Looks like they changed their recipe or something (which could also be due to the fact that Courtney and I don't eat dinner there every night like we used too as a result of the influx of freshman, new colonnades residents and don't forget, new kitchen) but they don't have them anymore! Imagine my heartbreak. I did my research though (actually not really, allrecipes.com is genuinely pretty reliable. especially if a particular recipe has been reviewed 490 times). These cookies are like slice-n-bake combined with colonnades good. I put them spranks on there (not usually my style) to make them look just like the ones I used to eat from nades. Deliciously chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. AND they taste better the next day. Not all cookies are as multi-talented....