Recipe: Black Dog Fresh-Ginger Cookies (using homemade ginger oil)

BLACK DOG FRESH-GINGER COOKIES

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups canola oil, divided use
3 cups granulated sugar, plus 1 cup for rolling dough balls
3/4 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
7 cups pastry flour (a soft-wheat style like White Lily will do)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make a ginger-flavored oil by mixing the chopped fresh ginger with 1/2 cup of the canola oil in a food processor fitted with steel blade. Don't labor over peeling the ginger, because it will be discarded. Cover and process until well minced.

In a large mixing bowl, mix 3 cups sugar, molasses and eggs. Strain the minced ginger/oil mixture, reserving the liquid only. Add this liquid, plus the remaining cup of oil to the egg mixture and blend until smooth. Discard ginger pulp.

In a smaller mixing bowl, mix together the salt, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and flour. Add the dry mixture to the wet mix and blend well.

Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper, grease with shortening or spray with a nonstick product. Scoop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls and roll in the reserved cup of granulated sugar for a crackled appearance after baking. Place on a prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, just until the tops crack and the cookies are flat. Meanwhile, prepare another cookie sheet and switch as you bake a sheet at a time.

Cool cookies completely on wire racks; store in airtight containers. These freeze well.

Makes about 8 dozen cookies
Source: The Black Dog Restaurant Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook by Joseph Hall and Elaine Sullivan