Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

1. Stage

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and spices: Place the butter, brown sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the ingredients together until they form a uniform colored paste that clings to the side of the bowl.

2. Stage

Make the cookie dough: Add the molasses and fresh grated ginger and beat to incorporate. Add the flour and cocoa, and beat until you see no more dry streaks of flour. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed in the dough.

3. Stage

Chill the dough: Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. The dough will be soft and sticky. Flatten the dough until it is about 1-inch thick then tightly wrap with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.

4. Stage

Roll the chilled dough into balls: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking sheets. Place the white granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll a piece of chilled dough into a 1 1/2-inch ball between your palms, then roll the ball in the sugar to coat. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough, spacing each ball slightly apart.

5. Stage

Chill the cookie dough balls: Place the baking sheets with the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

6. Stage

Preheat the oven to 325°F. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven.

7. Stage

Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the top of the cookies have started to crack slightly. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies will keep for about 5 to 7 days in a sealed container at room temperature