Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dark, full, or robust molasses
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions

1. Put the butter, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and all the dried spices in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat everything together until the mixture becomes an even, tinted paste that holds against the bowl.
2. Pour in the molasses, add the grated fresh ginger, and mix until they are worked in. Add the flour and cocoa, then beat just until the dry bits disappear. Mix in the chocolate chips until they are scattered through the dough.
3. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap; it will be soft and tacky. Press it into a slab about 1-inch thick, cover it tightly with the wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put the white granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll a piece of chilled dough between your palms into a 1 1/2-inch ball, coat it in the sugar, and set it on a prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough, giving the balls a little space.
5. Move the baking sheets with the dough balls to the refrigerator for 20 minutes. While they chill, heat the oven to 325F.
6. Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, until small cracks begin to show on top. Let them sit on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. For about 5 to 7 days, you can keep them at room temperature in an airtight container.