Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter cookies sheets.

Cream butter and freshly grated ginger together with an electric mixer till nice and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and mix. Add the molasses and beat until combined.

Sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa in a separate bowl. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat. Add in the baking soda and mix, followed by the remaining flour mixture. And for the piece de resistance … add the chocolate chips and combine.

Using a mellon- baller, scoop out the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, dredging them in sugar to coat, and place on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until their surfaces begin to crack. Cool and eat the entire batch before your kiddos get home from school. Dab melted chocolate chips at the corner of your mouth to clean up the evidence, and serve them plates of celery and carrots instead. They’ll never know that they’re missing.