by Sarah Steimer

These cookies are basically a cross between gingerbread cookies and chocolate chip-walnut cookies. Perfect in every way.
- 7 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks (unless you were smart enough to get chips or morsels); set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa.
Beat butter and grated ginger until combined. Add brown sugar and molasses, again beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Add in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate.
Place dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1-inch thick; seal with wrap and refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more (I prefer overnight).
Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls. Dip the top half into the chopped walnuts, pressing to make sure they stake in the dough. Place on a cooking sheet with either Silpat or parchment paper, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes until the dough firms back up (it is very sticky).
Bake at 325 for about 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will seem rather soft when you take them out, but they firm up as they cool. DO NOT overbake or else you will be eating hockey pucks for a few days.
Makes 24 cookies.
Recipe adapted from: Martha Stewart