i heart ginger and anais nin

i have developed an insatiable appetite for ginger. i was recently introduced to those little spicy, chewy candies and i can't get enough of them. may have contributed to my latest cavity but well worth it! a fabulous studio manager created the most amazing cookies yesterday and shared the recipe with me so i had to pass it along. enjoy!

on a separate note, i'm up in new york for the real hot 100 award party. on our way into town i saw a sign for an anais nin play. a dream come true. i have been a huge anais nin fan for almost 10 years! having first heard about her in a jewel song (yep, odd way to begin an obsession), i began reading her biographies and journals with voracity. an hour ago i rushed up to the room to get online and see if we could make a show during our 24 hour stay in the city. i'm pleased to share that i'm seeing the show tonight before the party. soooo excited.

can't wait to share the experience of both tantalizing events with you shortly. in the meantime, need a little legs up the wall to prepare for the evening. au revoir.

Extra-Spicy Ginger Snappers

2+1/2 cups flour
1+1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teapsoon ground ginger, or more to taste
3/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/8 teaspoon salt
3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 T cool, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1/4 cup egg whites (from about 2 eggs)

-Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
-Cream the butter until smooth and fluffy with a hand mixer. Add the sugars and mix. Add the molasses and mix.
-Add the egg whites and combine thoroughly.
-Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches, mixing after each addition.
-Heat the oven to 350F.
-Spread a few tablespoons of sugar on a small plate.
-Roll the dough into 3/4-inch balls* and roll each ball in the sugar til coated. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave 1 inch space between cookies.
-Bake until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks and store in airtight container (can freeze in ziplock bag)

*It seemed to me that the dough did not "roll" in my hands very well. I simply dropped a teaspoon of dough into the sugar and rolled it around in there til it was "ball-like."