Chocolate Gingersnaps

Ingredients

• Butter
• Sugar
• Water
• Brown sugar
• Baking soda
• Fresh ginger
• Flour
• Cocoa powder
• Ground ginger
• Ground
• Nutmeg
• White sugar
• Half
• Molasses
• Ginger

Directions

1. Combine the flour, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl, whisking until the mixture is even. Remove the peel from the fresh ginger, then shred it into another medium bowl with the fine side of a cheese grater.
2. Add the room-temperature butter to the grated ginger and use an electric mixer to whip the mixture until pale and airy. Beat in the brown sugar until the mixture fluffs up again, then mix in the molasses and beat until light. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until it disappears into the dough, then add the remaining half and beat until everything is fully combined. If the dough seems so dry that it will not hold together, mix in 1 tablespoon of water.
3. Cut the semi-sweet chocolate into small, rough bits, then fold it through the dough. Move the dough onto plastic wrap, cover it snugly, and chill it for about 1 hour, or until it has firmed up.
4. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pour the white sugar into a small bowl. Pull the dough from the refrigerator and separate it into 24 pieces. Move quickly as you shape each piece into a ball, then roll each one in the white sugar to coat. Arrange the sugared dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with 12 on each baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops have a crackled look.