Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday and rang in 2013 with a BANG!! And by “BANG” I mean leftovers, a yummy bottle of wine, season 3 of Sons of Anarchy and a 10:00 bed time 🙂

2012 was eventful, and I am thankful for so many things that happened over the past year. Here is the short list…

• Celebrating 2 wonderful years of marriage!
• Our new family member – James
• A beautiful and delicious trip to Portland, OR
• All of our friends and family that visit, host us for visits, make us laugh and share so much with us
• Purchasing and moving into our first house 🙂
• My kitchen
• Baking Club
• Hosting Davis Wiser’s 1st Birthday
• Red Hooks
• Our wood stove!!!

and these cookies 🙂 A fellow food blogger and recent HWS graduate shared this recipe and well, it is the perfect ginger molasses cookie.  I have named my version TRIPLE GINGER SPICE COOKIES and adapted them slightly from Katie’s version which I believe was a Barefoot Contessa recipe (God Bless Ina).

Although many of us, me included, have a long list of resolutions in the “healthy category” these will be the perfect way to fall off the wagon and get back to reality come February:)

Thank you for taking the time to follow and read this blog over the past year.  I appreciate all your feedback and kind words.  Bryan and I have lots of fun stuff planned for the coming year and wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2013!!!!

Triple Ginger Spice Cookies

yield = 2 1/2 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger (I use a micro plane)
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses (I have used both regular and blackstrap)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup chopped crystalized ginger (I found Ginger Chips at my local Whole Foods that were fantastic)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the first 7 ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat together the oil, brown sugar, and molasses for 5 minutes on medium speed. After, turn the speed down to low, and add the eggs; mix for 1 minute.

Mix fresh ginger into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient bowl and mix on medium speed till combined.

Scoop dough into small 1-inch balls and roll in granulated or turbinado sugar and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for exactly 12 minutes. Cool for 1-2 minutes on the sheet, and move to a cooling rack.

Davis diving into his 1st Birthday Cake!

James enjoying his first Christmas!