Ginger Molasses Cookies

In my recipe book these are called Ginger Snaps. I prefer my cookies a little on the chewy side, so I tend to under-cook them a little so they're less crunchy. I have no idea where I found this recipe, but I suspect it was among the stack of recipes from my Grandmother. She taught me to bake when I was little, and I inherited her love of it. Every Christmas she would cook up dozens of types of cookies and candy. I remember helping her experiment with toffee, which tasted great but looked scary. I use her cookie sheets when I bake, and I think of her every time. Anyway, here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

Preheat the oven to 350. Sift or whisk together the first 5 ingredients (flour, soda, salt, and spices) and set them aside. Cream the butter (I soften it in the microwave first) and beat in the sugar. Blend it well, then add the egg and molasses. Beat this mixture well, then gradually add the dry ingredients. Stir them until smooth. This takes a lot of elbow grease if you're mixing them by hand. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll them in sugar. Place them at least 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. They expand a lot, so give them plenty of room. Again, my oven runs hot so don't bake them for very long, but here's a general guideline: For chewier cookies bake for 10-11 minutes, for crispier cookies bake for 13-14 minutes.