For my 12 Days of Cookies this year, I'm kicking things off with a fun little twist on a traditional gingerbread cookie.  These cookies are soft in the middle, with a nice crunch on the outside (from the turbinado sugar you roll them in).  They have a lovely zip from the fresh ginger, and... big gooey chunks of chocolate!  Seriously, these cookies are absolutely addicting.  They're also perfect to take to a cookie swap or deliver to your neighbors, as this recipe makes a whopping 4 dozen cookies!

I'll be honest, I tasted the dough and was a little worried.  It just wasn't doing it for me, but I decided to have a little faith and at least bake them before throwing them out.  I'm so glad I did!  The combination of the ginger and dark chocolate is less sweet - maybe even a tad bitter.  Definitely a more complex flavor palate, than your typical sweet ginger cookie.  That didn't stop my boys from climbing onto the counter and getting into the cookies though while I wasn't looking though!

Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 14 oz dark chocolate
• 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp boiling water

• 3 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup (or more) turbinado sugar

Roughly chop chocolate into chunks, about 1/4 inch.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 5 minutes.

While mixing, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa powder.  Set aside.

Add brown sugar to butter mixture and beat until combined.  Add molasses and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda into 3 tsp boiling water.  Beat half of flour mixture into the butter mixture.  Beat in baking soda mixture, then add remaining flour mixture.  Mix in chocolate chunks.

Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick, seal with wrap, and refrigerate until firm.  (At least 2 hrs)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Divide dough and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Roll in turbinado sugar and refrigerate another 20 minutes.  Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, about 10 minutes.  Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.