Chocolate Gingerbread cookies

I love the holiday season because I love that baking that goes along with it.  Since I have a bunch of lovely co-workers that deserve cookies, I went on a cookie baking spree.  I made all the dough on Friday and let it sit in the refrigerator until Sunday morning when I decided that coffee and cooking baking sounded like a perfect morning.  The first cookie I'll give you the recipe for me is Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread cookie.  I can't believe I'm going to write this, especially because I'm such a huge Martha fan, but...  I made a change to this cookie.  A very, very small change, but a change nonetheless (Sorry Martha).  And let me tell you, I didn't think I was a gingerbread fan.  Why you ask?  Well because to me, gingerbread tasted bad.  Maybe it was because my mom's ground ginger was 1,000 years old or previous gingerbread recipes created hard, tasteless cookies, better for construction than eating.
   This recipe though, this recipe is an eating recipe.  Your house or apartment will smell like chocolate and ginger, just enough spice that you'll know the holidays are drawing near.  These cookies are crisp on the outside with that perfectly chewy cookie center and a hint of ginger spice followed by the smoothness of chocolate.  In total, a perfect package in a small cookie.  I highly suggest these cookies for the chocolate lover or ginger cookie lover on your list.

Ingredients:
scant 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate ( I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped into tiny pieces)
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch if you have it, but not needed)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter


Directions:
1.  Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate chips into very tiny pieces, you almost want the chocolate to dissolve into the cookies, set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2.  In the bowl  beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3.  In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture.
 4.  Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
 5. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.