INGREDIENTS:½ cup candied ginger chunks in syrup, drained (reserve ¼ cup of the syrup)
¼ cup light molasses
1 ½ Tbsps. fresh ginger, chopped
2 tsps. ground ginger
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, room temp.
1 large egg
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup granulated sugarDIRECTIONS:1. In a blender, whirl candied ginger and reserved syrup, molasses, fresh ginger and ground ginger until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and butter and beat with a mixer until well blended. Add the egg and blend well.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add to ginger mixture and stir, then beat until well blended. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill until firm to the touch: about 1 ¼ hours in the freezer or 4 hours in the refrigerator.

3. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Pour granulated sugar into a small bowl. Shape dough into 1 ½ inch balls and roll in sugar to coat. Set cookies 2 inches apart on buttered 12 by 15-inch baking sheets. Bake until cookie edges spring back when lightly pressed but centers are still soft, 15 to 18 minutes; switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies stand one minute on pans, then transfer with a wide spatula to racks to cool.SERVINGS:about 30 round cookiesFrom:Royal Pacific FoodsPHOTO CREDIT:Photo Credit: ROYAL PACIFIC FOODS