Organic refined sugar and cake sparkles for sprinklingor any coarse sugar, like turbinado
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light.
Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger and beat until fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully blended.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, carefully and on low speed, until the ingredients are fully blended.
Working in batches as necessary, roll 2-3 Tablespoons of dough into balls and use your hand to flatten them on the prepared cookie sheet about ¼ inch high and 2 inches apart.
Slice the apples as thinly as you can (crosswise so you can see the star of the core in the middle) and press slices firmly into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle coarse sugar and extra cinnamon evenly over cookies to coat, making sure to cover the edges.
Bake 20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more sugar, if desired, and cake sparkles. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.