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1
Preheat oven to 350u00b0 F. Line 2 or 3 heavy-duty cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I can fit 8 cookies to a sheet pan, as my pans are quite large, so I use 2 sheet pans.)
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2
Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium/low speed for 3 minutes. On low speed, add the molasses, then the salt, spices, and baking soda.
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3
Add eggs one at a time at medium/low speed and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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4
Add flour and mix on low speed until incorporated, then mix at medium speed for 10 seconds to make sure all of the spices are incorporated.
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5
Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough balls that are about 3 ounces each (smaller than a tennis ball, but bigger than a ping pong ball). With your hands, roll dough into balls to smooth the edges.
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6
Roll tops of cookie dough balls in turbinado sugar in a shallow bowl and place sugar-side-up 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press balls very gently with the back of a fork or your fingers to slightly flatten. (I use a flat-bottomed, 3 inch-wide measuring cup to press the dough until it's about 2 inches wide and 1 inch high.)
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7
At this point, cookies can be frozen and baked off at a later time. Place them in the freezer on the parchment-lined baking sheets overnight or for several hours. (I prefer this freezing method as I'm convinced it produces a chewier cookie, but I could also just be imagining it all.)
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8
Bake the cookies, either frozen or unfrozen, for 16 minutes (if you're baking from frozen, remember that they should be placed a few inches apart). Rotate the pans back-to-front and top-to-bottom after the first 8 minutes, then return to oven for 8 more minutes and start checking for doneness. Bake for no more than 18 minutes -- if you over bake the cookies, they won't be chewy. Remove your cookies when the edges feel set and the centers feel not quite done. I usually pull my cookies on the early side, as they continue to cook once removed from the oven. I haven't tried these in a small size, but if you do, bake them for less time.
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9
When done, remove from oven, and slide the cookies, parchment and all, onto a cooling rack.
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10
Store cooled cookies in an airtight cookie jar or sealed plastic bag. They stay chewy for days.
