Recipe: Bainbridge Island Molasses Cookies

Soft and chewy on the inside and slightly crisp on the surface, these dark and spicy cookies evoke the era of cookie jars and grandmothers in the kitchen. We think the smell conjures the spirit of those wonderful gingerbread men we used to make. But we like these better. The large crystals of turbinado sugar, available in the bulk section of some grocery stores or under the brand name "Sugar in the Raw" on the baking aisle, provides these cookies with extra holiday sparkle, but you can roll them in regular granulated sugar if it's all you have on hand.

Makes 2 dozen large cookies

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar, plus additional sugar for rolling

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup blackstrap (dark) molasses

Turbinado sugar for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with baker's parchment. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt; set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk oil and 1 cup sugar, then stir in egg, water and molasses. Add dry ingredients all at once to oil mixture and stir just until mixture is combined. Divide dough into 4 pieces and chill.

3. Roll each piece of chilled dough into 6 balls, and roll the balls in turbinado sugar. Arrange the balls on the baking sheet, allowing plenty of room for the cookies to spread, and bake 8 minutes, or until cookies are crackled and lightly browned.

From Greg Atkinson