Ultra ginger zinger cookies

Adapted from: http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-ginger-cookies-137042

Ingredients:

2.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
approximately cell-phone-sized piece of ginger root
3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
3/4 + 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2-4 tsp water

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and dry spices - set aside. Peel ginger root, mince, and set aside in saucepan. Mash butter until soft in another bowl; add 3/4 cup sugar and cream together. Beat in egg and molasses, and leave aside.

Pour 1/2 cup sugar over minced ginger and put on high heat. Stir while adding 2-4 tsp water - a minimal amount to prevent burning. Boil 2-5 minutes, or until most of the water is evaporated and the syrup is thick, but adjust heat as necessary to prevent caramelization. Cool in fridge or freezer briefly - you want to pour the syrup before it crystallizes extensively, but you need it cool enough not to curdle the egg.

When ginger syrup is sufficiently cool, pour and quickly stir into wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Set oven to 350 F. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets (if the dough is too soft and sticks to spoon, chill in the fridge and try again). Bake 8-11 minutes, until tops are just beginning to congeal. Cool 3-5 minutes before sampling. Makes about 50 2-inch cookies.