If It's Sunday, There Must Be Cookies!: Ginger: For Health & Happiness

They say that ginger can soothe aching muscles, brighten dull skin, ease an upset stomach, prevent heart disease, and even cure depression.

I just think it looks like an alien visitor from a faraway planet. It's ugly. But -- it's ugly in a so-ugly-it's-almost-cute kind of way.

When I started gathering my ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies, I paused to contemplate why I had never before cooked or baked anything using fresh ginger. I mean, I'm a pretty good cook and a frequent viewer of food-related television; I'm not afraid to use spices and try different techniques when I cook, so I wondered, "Why have I never come face-to-face with a ginger root?"
And the questions kept coming.

How do I peel it with all those crazy lumps and bumps? (I used a paring knife; if it's good enough for the Iron Chefs, it's good enough for me.)
How can I grate this without it becoming a pile of mush? (Apparently, you're supposed to freeze it. Thanks, husband o' mine, for this tidbit.)
WTF ginger, why are you so stringy?! (I don't have an answer for this one, but the Internet is filled with frustrated ginger-graters who are trying to combat this problem.)
What does fresh grated ginger feel like when you step on it with bare feet? (Cold and squishy. I do not recommend it).

Once I got past the relative trauma of trying to grate ginger into something that did not resemble the hairy mess above, I encountered another new experience: Nutmeg. I had never before grated fresh nutmeg. (And you call yourself a baker?)


L to R: Ground ginger (yeah, more ginger); ground cinnamon; ground cloves; nutmeg seeds

Nutmeg seeds from the outside look kind of like... well, nuts. [We've had a big jar of them in the pantry for awhile, but they were still Sealed for Maximum Freshness, so I guess neither of us has been using fresh ground nutmeg.] Here's what going on inside: they're kind of veiny and creepy-looking (and not in a so-ugly-it's-cute sort of way). They still smell delicious, though!

One additional component of gingerbread that really gives it its Gingerbread quality is molasses. [Evidently, people associate molasses with their grandmothers. Seriously, I googled this and there is both a Grandma's Molasses (pictured below) and a Grandma Molasses, and they both picture an older white-haired woman in an oval window. One wonders, if one is a lawyer, whether these companies are related -- or if not, what the trademark implications might be.]

Cookbook authors and other experts have advised me to coat the measuring cup in oil or cooking spray before using honey or molasses. The theory is that this will prevent the sticky substance from sticking to the sides and it will pour more easily. It's not a fool-proof method, but a little cooking spray seemed to do the trick today!

This is also when the dough started to smell -- and look -- like gingerbread.

As I've mentioned before, I feel that there is very little worth baking that does not include some chocolate. This recipe includes chocolate chunks as well as a little bit of cocoa powder. Yay!