Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Make 40
Source: Martha Stewart

I made Gingerbread Cookies & Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies for my daughters' teachers, but I always have difficulty with the packaging but not bad for firsthand.   The teachers loved it!   So are my daughters, they were to excited helping me to bakes & packs!

Ingredients:
7 ounces semisweet chocolate (I used Nestle)

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp cocoa powder

½ cup unsalted butter

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (I used 2½ tbsp to have more ginger taste)

½ cup dark-brown sugar

½ cup unsulfured molasses

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Chop chocolate into chunks & set aside.  In a medium bowl, shift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg & cocoa powder.
2. In electric mixer bowl, beat butter & 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 1½ tsp boiling water.  Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture.  Beat in baking soda mixture then remaining half of flour mixture.  Mix in chocolate, turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick, seal with plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm atleast 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll dough into 2 inch balls; place 2½ inch apart on baking sheets.   Refrigerate 20 minutes.   Roll dough balls in granulated sugar & return to baking sheet.   Transfer to oven & bake until surfaces crack slightly about 18 minutes.  
5. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely & store in airtight container.