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Ginger Pear Sparkle Cookies

As a final au revoir to fall, lets make these cookies! These have a little crunch on the outside from the sugar, but are gooey and soft on the inside from the pear juice. Flavored with ginger and cinnamon, these cookies melt in your mouth with the molasses and brown sugar chew. Plus, they aren't super difficult and they look stunning!
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
chill time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 15 cookies
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping
  • 2-3 medium sized asian pears see instructions for preparation
  • ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling

Method
 

Make the cookie dough
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars on medium speed until fluffy and combined. Add the molasses and beat to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again if needed. Cover the bowl with a piece of cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
Prepare the pears
  1. Make sure you cut the pears right before you intend to use them. If they sit out for too long they will oxidize.
  2. Rinse the pears thoroughly. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the whole pears into circular disks. DO NOT REMOVE THE CORES. Using your fingers or a toothpick if needed, pick out the seeds. Place the sliced pears on a paper towel and blot them with another towel to remove some of the liquid.
Shape the cookies
  1. Pour ½ cup of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. We will roll the cookies in this.
  2. Watch the video above if you need a visual for how to shape these.
  3. Roll the chilled dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons each (they should be on the bigger side). Roll those in the sugar and place on a baking sheet, at least 4 inches apart. Using your hands, press down the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet. Press until there is a flat surface area the same size as the pear slices. Place the sliced pear on top of the flattened cookie and press to adhere .
  4. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until edges are set and slightly browned. The centers will still be a little soft, that's ok! Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheets before eating. I highly recommend eating these warm!
  5. Cookies stay fresh up to 3 days at room temperature sealed in an airtight container.

Notes

Pears: Make sure you're using asian pears. These are round and have the right flavors for this cookie.