Ginger Cream Cheese Cookies

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a standing mixer or hand beaters, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the molasses, salt and ginger, and mix to incorporate. Add in the flour, and mix just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and give it a quick stir with a spoon or spatula to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
2. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each cookie (they will spread a little). Don’t use a silpat for these—they will run into each other—I’d put them directly on the pan if you don’t have parchment. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
3. After about 10 minutes, pull the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the cookies with turbinado (or raw) sugar. This gives them a bit of sparkle and crunch. Pop them back in, and let them finish the rest of the baking time. Do not over-bake, or the cookies won’t be chewy! Cool slightly on the cookie sheet, and then remove the cookies with a spatula and let them finish cooling on a rack.
4. If you really like chewy cookies, I recommend chilling the batter before you bake it, and making the cookies a bit bigger than usual. This will make the inside cook less quickly while allowing the outside rim to get crisp, as explained above. Cook more like 16-18 minutes.