Mormor's Spice Cookies

According to chef New York based chef, Marcus Samuelsson, author of Yes, Chef (a recent Relish book club read) his grandmother's spice cookies take him right back to her kitchen in Sweden. "Her spice rack looked like it belonged to a culinary jet setter. It was the toasting of the spices that make all the difference in these cookies."

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Ingredients...

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 3½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
• 10 tbsp (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2  large eggs
• ¾ cup molasses

Method...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F with racks in the middle and upper third. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring with a wooden spoon, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Immediately scrape the spices into a bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, salt and white pepper and whisk to combine.
4. Beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the molasses. Stir in the dry ingredients.
5. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2-inches apart. Bake until the tops feel firm when lightly touched 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool, line with fresh parchment and bake the rest of the cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.