Date Sugar Ginger Jewels Recipe

Date Sugar Ginger Jewels

Makes 24 cookies

Rolling these festive cookies in rapadura (a Brazilian unrefined cane sugar) or turbinado sugar makes the outsides sparkle and also gives the treats a sweet crunch.

1 cup date sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) vegan margarine
1 large egg
3 Tbs. blackstrap molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 Tbs. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
¼ cup rapadura or turbinado sugar

1. Beat date sugar and margarine with electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes, or until creamy. Beat in egg, then molasses.

2. Whisk together flours, ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon, baking soda, salt,

cloves, and nutmeg in bowl. Whisk in fresh ginger. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Cover, and chill 1 hour,
or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with coconut oil or cooking spray. Combine rapadura with remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon on small plate.

4. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies look dry. Cool 3 to 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack.