For some reason I am feeling generous today and I am going to share the recipe for one of my favorite cookies with you, my faithful reader. It must be the upcoming holiday season...

These Ginger Molasses Cookies have an amazing soft and chewy texture. The trick is to refrigerate the dough 24 hours before baking. I'm thinking this has something to do with achieving the chewiness of the cookies.

Because the balls of dough are rolled in a mixture of granulated and demerara sugar before baking, they have a sugary crunch when you bite into them. What's demerara sugar? Demerara is a type of unrefined sugar with a large grain. When sugar cane syrup is dehydrated, it forms the large golden brown crystals. Using demerara gives the cookies a bigger crunch than just using granulated sugar alone.

• The cookies will puff up while they bake. To ensure a chewy texture, be careful not to overbake.

• Sparkley! This picture doesn't show how pretty and glittery these cookies really are.

• If you want to go overboard (like I always do), serve them with homemade Maple Pecan Ice Cream.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

1 stick butter, softened

1/3 cup cup dark molasses

1/8 cup water

1/4 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

3 1/4 cups unsifted flour

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup mixed sugars (demerara and granulated sugar)

Cream butter, molasses, water, salt and brown sugar together. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Sift dry ingredients together and add gradually to the creamed mixture. Mix well (dough will be stiff). Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls and roll each ball in the sugar mix to cover. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes.

The recipe for the Maple Pecan Ice Cream to come...