Spice Sparkles

Sprinkled with sparkling sugar, these chewy spice cookies are packed with flavor. If you are a fan of caramel, add a layer of dulce de leche right before serving to create a tasty sandwich cookie. Spice Sparkles freeze well, making them the ideal cookie for the holidays.

Spice Sparkles Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ginger

3/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks softened butter (3/4 cup)

1 large egg

1 cup granulated sugar (also an extra 1/4 cup sugar for coating)

1/4 cup molasses

coarse decorating sugar (for top of cookie)

Materials:

Mixing bowl, electric mixer, and mixing attachment

1 medium-sized mixing bowl

small bowl

spatula

measuring cup

set of measuring spoons

stirring spoon

teaspoon (for making balls)

baking sheet

parchment paper

cookie cooling racks

oven mitt

wax paper

air-tight container (for storing cookies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Stir to blend dry ingredients.

In electric mixing bowl, add softened butter, egg, and sugar.

Mix wet ingredients together on medium speed for approximately 5 minutes until the mixture is creamy.

Then add molasses and beat until mixture is thoroughly blended.

Add dry ingredients mixture (flour, baking soda, and spices) to the wet ingredients and mix on low until ingredients are blended together.

The dough will be soft.

For easiest handling, chill dough for about 30 minutes.

Scoop up a scant teaspoon of dough and drop it into a small bowl of granulated sugar.

Move the dough around until it is completely coated.

Pick up the coated dough and roll it to form about a 1 inch ball.

Place cookie balls onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet as shown.

Bake cookies at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes.

Cookies will flatten as they bake.

Remove baking sheet from oven and slide cookies and parchment paper onto cookie racks to cool.

While cookies are still warm, sprinkle coarse decorating sugar onto the tops of cookies. (For sandwich cookies, sprinkle only half of the cookies as shown.)

Once cool, these spice cookies should be put in an airtight container. For easy separation, layer the cookies between wax paper.

If desired, these cookies can also be frozen.

To create a sandwich cookie, squeeze a dollop of dulce de leche onto the bottom of one unsprinkled spice cookie. Gently top the caramel-flavored filling with a second cookie sprinkled with coarse decorating sugar. Serve.

(Note: To retain the chewiness of the spice cookie, add the dulce de leche right before serving. If making sandwich cookies from frozen cookies, thaw the cookies first and then add the dulce de leche filling.)

Make a cup of hot tea, put a few Spice Sparkles onto a plate, and unwind as you savor the comforting flavors of fall.