I’ve finally emerged from a month-long holiday daze just in time to head into the foggy city. I’m on my way to San Francisco to ring in the New Year, and BMUB is coming to you live from 30,000 feet.
The fact that you can get online on a plane still amazes me. Not that it takes much to surprise me these days — I can’t quite get over the time when you could make phone calls from your seat.
I remember the only time I was allowed to make a call. I was ten years old and I called my dad. Our fifteen-second conversation went something like this:
Dad: Hello?
Me: Hi! Dad! I’m ON. THE. PLANE!! I think we’re over St. Louis now. I’m looking at CLOUDS! Real clouds! AND TALKING TO YOU! Can you BELIEVE it?!
Dad: Wow!
Me: OK. Well, I have to go. Mom says this is costing $30 dollars a minute. BYE! Oh, did I tell you that I’m on a PLANE? AND WE ARE ON THE PHONE!!!!
Dad: Yes.
Me: BYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEE!
Yesterday I had a fierce craving for a chewy molasses cookie. Because I always put off packing until the last minute, I ended up baking instead of dealing with suitcases and clothes. The cookie I imagined was chewy, thick, rolled in sugar, warmly spiced, and studded with extra chocolate. When these came out of the oven, I felt like I had arrived in cookie heaven — and only then did I finally start packing.
Chewy Ginger and Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies
Makes roughly 4 dozen
Adapted from Gourmet
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (for coating)
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and ground ginger and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and continue to beat until fully combined. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing well after each addition, then fold in the crystallized ginger and chocolate chips.
Portion the dough with a small scoop and roll each ball in the ginger-sugar coating. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes, until lightly browned and the tops crack slightly. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
