Sandi’s Ginger Heaven

Ingredients

Cookies

• ¾ cup butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp cloves
• ¼ cup sugar

Roasted pears

• 3 Anjou or Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and halved lengthwise
• 1½ tbsp ginger jam or marmalade
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• Ice cream ~ 1 pint organic vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1½ tbsp ginger jam or marmalade
• 1 tbsp candied ginger, finely chopped
• Garnish ~ ¼ tsp cinnamon, Mint leaves

Instructions

1. Cookies ~ In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in molasses.
2. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Add to molasses mixture to form a soft dough. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
4. Form dough into walnut-sized pieces and roll in white sugar. Freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to a week.
5. Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes 24 cookies.
6. Pears ~ Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange pears cut side up on parchment-lined baking sheet. Mix jam with melted butter and salt, and brush ½ of mixture over pear halves. Roast pears for 10 minutes. Turn over, brush with remaining jam. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
7. Ice cream ~ Mix softened ice cream with ginger jam and chopped ginger until evenly blended. Place in freezer for a least 1 hour.
8. Place a cookie on each of six plates. Top with a pear half and a scoop of ice cream. Garnish with mint and a dusting of cinnamon.