These soft & chewy gluten-free chocolate ginger cookies make a cozy holiday treat filled with gooey pockets of melted dark chocolate, warm baking spices, and earthy molasses.
8tablespoons(113 g) unsalted butter, melted and kept warm
⅓cup(100 g) molasses (I use blackstrap)
⅓cup(65 g) light or dark brown sugar
⅓cup(65 g) granulated sugar (preferably organic cane sugar), plus another 1/3 cup for rolling the cookies
1large egg (2 ounces out of shell)
1teaspoonvanilla extract
6ounces(170 g) chopped dark chocolate, plus a handful for the tops
Instructions
Make the Dough
In a medium bowl, sift together the oat flour, sweet rice flour, cocoa powder, and tapioca flours with the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
In a large bowl, stir together the butter, molasses, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
Stir in the flour mixture with a sturdy wooden spoon. Once the flour is incorporated, stir vigorously for 40 strokes - this activates the stickiness of the flours and makes for chewy cookies. Stir in the chocolate.
Cover the dough and chill until firm, 1-2 hours or 1-2 days.
Bake
When you're ready to bake, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line 2 rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the remaining ⅓ cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
Scoop the cookies into 1" balls (a spring-loaded #40 ice cream scoop works wonders) and roll each ball in the sugar. Place the balls at least 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are puffed and cracked, and the dough between the cracks looks underbaked, 7-10 minutes, rotating the pan after 5 minutes to ensure even baking. Repeat with the second pan.
Let the cookies cool slightly on the pan (or if they've been overcooked, whisk the parchment and cookies straight off the sheet and onto a cooling rack), then use a thin, metal spatula to remove the cookies to a cooling rack. Cool completely (the cookies will still be baking from residual heat), then store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
If gluten isn't an issue for you, try replacing the oat, sweet rice, and tapioca flours with 200 g all-purpose wheat flour (about 1 1/2 cups). To make these egg-free, my friend tested these with Bob's Red Mill egg replacer (mixed per the instructions for 1 egg) and they baked up beautifully!