Chewy Gingerbread Hugging Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 T. ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly

3/4 cup unsulphured molasses

2 tablespoons milk

 

Candied Nuts or Candies for the hugs

 

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add butter pieces; mix at medium-low speed until mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, gradually add molasses and milk; mix until dough is evenly moistened, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds. Scrape dough onto work surface and divide in half. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick between two large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving dough sandwiched between parchment layers, stack on cookie sheet and freeze until firm, 20-25 minutes. (You could also refrigerate the dough 2 hours or overnight.) Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove one dough sheet from freezer; place on work surface. Peel off top parchment sheet and gently lay it back in place. Flip dough over; peel off and discard second parchment layer. Cut dough into desired shapes and transfer the shapes to your parchment-lined cookie sheets. Space them at least an inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough until cookie sheets are full. Bake cookies until set in centers and dough barely retains imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes, rotating cookie sheets front to back and switching positions top to bottom halfway through baking time. Do not overbake or they won’t be chewy. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining dough until all dough is used.