This Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie is the cookie on the front of the Martha Stewart’s Cookies cookbook. I have loved every cookie I’ve made from this cookbook, so I was really looking forward to trying this one for week five of my 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this cookie. I loved the addition of creamy chocolate and the chewy texture of this cookie, but I thought the spices were too strong. My kids said they were okay and my husband like them, but I didn’t care for them. I didn’t even like the cookie dough – just too spicy for me.
When I was trying to think of a great way to photograph these cookies, I decide it would be fun to try and duplicate the picture on the cover. The big question is how do you get cookies to stand on their end. Well, I went with a push pin and a paperclip. Not perfect – my cookie wouldn’t stand up on the other side – but it was fun trying to get the shot to work at home.
Martha has the recipe for Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies on her website. My first batch of cookies didn’t flatten out as much as the picture on the cover, so the next batch I flattened them with a glass before baking them, but then they didn’t look as good and weren’t as crackled on top. I also rolled them in turbinado sugar instead of granulated sugar, which I thought was a great change.
If I were to make them again, I would cut the spices in half. But there are lots of rave reviews of this cookie on the web, so if you like a really spicy gingerbread, this is your cookie.
Be sure and check out all of the fabulous cookies the other 12 weeks of Christmas Cookies bakers baked up this week.
Janna M
Oh those are one of my favorite cookies but I love anything with ginger. I think your photo turned out great. That book is a favorite at our house.
Cristie
I think your picture came really pretty close to Martha’s. Congratulations! I made a pumpkin pie last night that you would have hated– too spicy for most, but an original 1940’s recipe.
Blond Duck
I hope you had a good Halloween!
Barbara
Nice to see gingerbread cookies, Barbara. I love gingerbread…and these look so nice and chewy!
tiffany ~food finery
i am not a huge ginger fan so i wonder how i would like them BUT… i do love that book! so many wonderful cookie treats!!! they are pretty though… they look awesome.
Eliana
Your cookies look amazing Barbara!!! Wish I could bite into a couple right now.
elra
Chocolate and ginger perhaps sounds a bit strange, but to be honest, I am even more intrigued by it.
Nic
I’ve been eyeing up those cookies for ages, they look great. Love that you recreated her photo!
Donna
Don’t forget that Martha has a whole staff of food stylists and photographers. Your photo looks great!
bake in paris
Your photo is better than the book cover! I really love the addition of sugar sprinkles on those cookies 🙂
Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris
megan @ whatmegansmaking
Your cookies look perfect! I made these last year and I liked them, but they came out so flat! Yours look just like the ones on the cover – well done 🙂 Sorry you didn’t like them though.
Jenn@slim-shoppin
That stinks that they were too spicy! They looked really pretty though!
I just found your blog, I’ll be coming back 🙂
lisaiscooking
I’ve made a lot of cookies from that book, but not this one yet. It looks delicious, and the texture looks great! I think I might like the spicy gingeriness of it, but I’ll have to try it and find out for sure.
Maggie
Barbara, I’m with you but for a different reason. I love gingerbread and ample spice but personally would never want the flavor mixed with chocolate (my first thought is why????). Love chocolate and can do chocolate with many flavors, but I’m more of a purest with my gingerbread flavors; applesauce or whipped cream are the only additions worth pursuing with that one (preferably on the side and not mixed in). Perhaps hard to explain, but I like gingerbread so much I wouldn’t want the ditraction of chocolate with it and certainly wouldn’t want to add sweetness. Your photos are always professional quality, they look gorgeous.
Barbara
I actually liked the chocolate with the gingerbread, but then I’ve only had gingerbread cookies and never with applesauce or whipped cream. Thanks for the sweet comment on my photos. I’ve really been working on it. Makes we want to redo all my old photos.
shaz
Oh my, the words chocolate and gingerbread anad cookie are all going ding! ding! ding! in my head. I want to make this right now. Pity you found the spices too strong, I quite like spicy so maybe it will be ok. Will keep you posted 🙂
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food
Ginger snaps are my particular cookie obsession, and the idea of adding chocolate to them is a new idea (for me, anyway) that I definitely must try. Sorry you didn’t like them, but I’m guessing I would adore the extra spice kick here. My dream snap is seriously spicy hot and crisp.
Sophie
But I think that these festive cookies look delightful & I love a lot of spices in my cookies! I msut make them for me & my husband!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM,…georgous looking cookies too!
Summer
Even thought u didn like the cookies ,they look fantastic!!
And u really duplicated that pic perfectly didn ya?
looks deliciously ,as if u picked them from the book!
marcellina
WOW! They look great and I love your copy shot! It’s perfect! I like spice but I understand it can be too much sometimes!
Katrina
Well, hmmm, I “stole” (no, she said I could have it) the Martha Cookie Book from my mom when I went home a few weeks ago and that photo on the cover just kills me and I’ve been wanting to make it, now at least I’ll know to cut the spices when I do! Thanks!
Love your recreation of the photo.