I have never had anything I baked make such waves as the ginger spice cookies I made last week. My co-workers asked for the recipe. I can’t give people orgasms with my chocolate chip cookies or brownies like my good friend K Robin, but I guess I can make a damn good ginger cookie. The recipe came from the November issue of Chatelaine – one of their “10 best holiday treats.”

Ginger Spice Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 with two racks (in top and bottom thirds of oven). Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Use a fork to stir flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat egg with a fork, then beat in oil and molasses. Use a wooden spool to beat in brown sugar until evenly mixed. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well mixed. Roll tablespoonfulls into balls and roll in granulated sugar until evenly coated. Place 2″ apart on baking sheet. Bake on 2 racks in oven for 4 minutes. Switch sheet positions, then bake 3-6 minutes more, until cookies begin to crack and set around edges. Put sheets on wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month. Makes 2 dozen large cookies.

P.S. Yes, you read that correctly — I bought Chatelaine.

Just about the only pleasure I have at my job is reading the personals in the Globe tabloids that someone brings in to the break room.

SM, educated, 38, 5′8″, 150 lbs, dark brown hair . . . Respect for each other is the foundation for a happy married life. I’ll take you to visit the Taj Mahal. I’ll always be greeting you with sweet kisses and hugs. I care about my partner. My love will be your tranquilizer gun fo your whole life. I’m going to bloom definitely where I’m planted, my love.

That’s just a snippet from a 250-word ad. I wrote assignments for grad school that were shorter than this thing. This guy is looking for a woman

who is tired of night club, guy, church or online dating. This is your chance, the one you’ve been looking for all this time, bag me, tag me, tame me in your whole life. Now it seems time to step up and close the deal, get the fish in the boat. . . . I can wear the crown for your whole life.

Count me in.

This recipe was fairly well-received by my family this week, except my niece, who — for the first and possibly only time — refused dessert and had all of us concerned for her health. (Yes, I made blondies even though I’m on a diet. I only had a little bit, and on a day when I could “afford” it, points-wise.)

Blondies (from Good Housekeeping Best Recipes 2000): 

6 tbsp butter
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Great 9×13 metal baking pan, line with foil, and grease foil (I used Pam). In heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla with wooden spoon. Stir in eggs until well blended. In small bown, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into sugar mixture just until blended. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in pan, then transfer with foil to cutting board. Makes about two dozen squares.