These ginger cookies are so perfect for the holidays, but we’ll definitely be taking them with us into the rest of the year, they’re so good. They’re thin but wonderfully chewy, and even after a few days in a cookie tin, they stay nice and soft. The flavor has that warm spiced molasses quality — thanks to a healthy amount of ginger and cardamom — that reminds us of grandmotherly cookies of yore in the best way. Out of consideration for the purists among us, we left some of our cookies undipped, but in the end, everyone gravitated toward the dipped: the icing has the perfect ratio of spicy to sweet, and we love how it gently cracks as you bite down into it.

A cardamom-ginger cookie is the very definition of merry. Drop a tin on a neighbor’s doorstep, nibble on a few during the (virtual) work holiday party, and put out a plate of them while your family decorates the tree. But make sure to keep a secret stash for yourself, too — they’re exactly the cookies you want to bust out with your afternoon coffee.

Yields: 18 cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom, divided

¾ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp kosher salt

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter, softened

1 large Gelson’s egg, room temperature

3 Tbsp molasses

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ½ tsp cardamom, ginger, cloves, and salt and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until the mixture becomes a lighter brown, about 1 minute.

4. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.

5. Place the dough in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for one hour or until firm.

6. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

7. Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, measure out 2-tablespoon portions of dough, and then use your hands to roll the dough into balls and place them 3 to 4 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

9. Cool cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and remaining ½ tsp of cardamom until mixed. Add the milk and whisk until smooth.

11. Dip a cookie into the icing, covering half of the cookie, and place it on a sheet of parchment paper to let the icing set, about 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Calculate nutrition information for this recipe.