Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

This past weekend, my mom came over and we baked about 8 different kinds of holiday cookies/treats. This is a yearly event for us and always has been. I look forward to it each and ever year. I think some of the best presents are those that are made homemade. I enjoy being able to bake everything and then wrap it up in pretty treat bags for all of our coworkers and friends. It's also nice to spend time catching up with my mom and just talking about life.

This year we tried several new recipes, and were quite pleased that all of them were very good. Our very favorite cookie we made was Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chips. My coworkers have said this was their favorite cookie as well, so I thought I would share the recipe. I know that I usually post recipes that are modified and healthier, but it is the Christmas season and a few sinful cookies never hurt anyone. These are made just like the original recipe calls for, but it they are so worth it! I will offer a few tips on how you could "healthify" this cookie recipe below.

This recipe is great because it makes a LOT of cookies. You can freeze them and enjoy them over the next few weeks or you can put them in little goody bags and give to your loved ones. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
Serves: approx 4 dozen cookies
Adapted by: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/soft-gingersnap-cookies-with-white-chocolate-chunks/

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon lite salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips or chunks
Granulated sugar for coating the balls of dough

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line two large baking sheets with parchment papers or a baking mat to prevent sticking when you cook them
-In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and mix with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
-Add the molasses, canola oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and spices to the bowl. Mix until the mixture is blended completely.
-Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat  until the mixture is smooth.
-To the large bowl, add 1 cup of flour at a time and blend together until all the flour has been added and incorporated.
-Stir in the white chocolate chips to the batter. Do not use the mixer, you just want to fold in the chocolate.
-With a small scooper, scoop the dough into balls and roll each one in granulated sugar. Place the rolled balls on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes in the oven.
-Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

*Tips:
-You could use 1 tablespoon canola oil and 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce instead of 2 tablespoons of canola oil.
-You could use a sugar substitute in place of the cup of sugar. My recommendation would be to use Splenda Sugar Blend. I find it works well with baked goods.
-You could use light butter instead of normal butter.
-In place of the 2 eggs, you could use 1/2 cup eggbeaters
-You could do half and half with the flour; do 2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour to get some whole grains in these cookies.

Enjoy!