Ginger cookies from Alton Brown

In order to earn my #1 Alton Brown fan stripes, I need to discuss things other than Good Eats, Feasting on Waves, Feasting on Asphalt and Iron Chef America. For was much as I enjoy watching Alton on TV, I also have great affection for his cookbooks.

First, I have all of them. Second, my FOA 2 copy is signed by AB and its picture is here on the blog! Third, I've purchased all of these books new. Fourth, I have bought both the original edition of I'm Just Here for the Food and the updated IJHFTF v 2.0. See where I'm headed with this?

My general cookbook collection is enormous. But all of them have been second-hand pick ups. I have copies of my mom's cookbooks she gave to me when I got interested in cooking. I even still have the very first cookbook I remember using back in middle school. I got it at a thrift store, a 1950s Italian cookbook. I made lady fingers... the page is still bookmarked. They didn't turn out well, but that's another post. Yeah all of my hundreds of culinary tomes are used. Well, that was the case until Alton's first cookbook, "I'm Just Here for the Food," came out.

AB has two honors in my culinary library, whether he wants them or not. 1. His are the only cookbooks I will purchase new (even preorder in most cases). 2. He is the only person whom I have every cookbook he has ever published.

If I were asked which Alton Brown cookbook is my very favorite, right now I would have to say "I'm Just Here for More Food." I know, AB has received much praise for his first cookbook, even winning a James Beard Award, but I love IJHFMF. I have found so many wonderful recipes in it, it is superbly useful. I love the funky way it is laid out with the flaps explaining each of the dough mixing methods. By far, hands down, IJHFMF has to be my favorite AB cookbook.

A few Christmases ago I discovered the ginger cookies from IJHFMF. I love gingerbread and gingerbread cookies but I had never made them before. Seeing this recipe in Alton's cookbook made me want to give it a try. I trusted they would be good, after all Alton has a great knack for developing his recipes. And his recipes work because he gives you the knowledge and explains the hows and whys of cooking.

The recipe is very basic and simple to construct the cookies. The only remotely strange ingredient to be found is crystallized ginger. And that's not too difficult to locate. The dough easily comes together. Dark brown sugar and one stick of butter are first creamed. Then the other liquids are added--one egg and 2 teaspoons of molasses. After adding the egg and molasses, the crystallized ginger goes in. A 1/4 cups worth, diced. As is typical with AB's baking recipes, the flour is weighed. 9 1/2 ounces. Ground ginger, baking powder and baking soda round out the dry goods.

From here, you simply combine the dry stuff in with the creamed ingredients. I used my KitchenAid handmixer to cream and incorporate the dry goods. The dough is very soft and smells good enough to eat right then! But you must resist because the baked cookies are even better! Now, split the dough in half and form logs about 2 inches in diameter and wrap in wax paper. Then refrigerate overnight.

When baking time comes, remove the dough from the fridge and the wax paper and cut into 1/4 inch slices. I baked the slices on parchment paper at 350 degrees because my oven runs a little hot. Alton's instructions say 375 degrees. Half way through baking the cookies, 4 minutes, rotate the pans and continue baking for another four minutes.

The cookies are soft and chewy with a light gingery taste. But the best part of the cookie is the little bits of crystallized ginger. This is a welcome delight with their hint of chewiness and punch of ginger.

Last Christmas I experimented a bit with recipe. I rolled the dough out to about a 1/4 inch thick and used cookie cutters. Yes, gingerbread men! The are just as delightful as the rounds but they need to be monitored because the shaped cookies did get a little harder than the rounds.

My ginger critters from last Christmas.

Yes, this one cookie recipe that is gleefully in the repitoire. Right next to the Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies from Good Eats, which will get their own blog post someday.