• Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place rack in middle of oven.

Mix dry ingredients

• Measure the 1.5 cups all purpose flour, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp five-spice powder, 2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp sea salt into a bowl. Use a whisk to distribute spices and cocoa thoroughly throughout flour, taking care to break up any cocoa clumps (or toss cocoa through a strainer/sieve to break up clumps).

Mix wet ingredients with sugar/fresh ginger

• Soften 1 stick unsalted butter: Butter should be soft enough to mix with hand mixer (or by hand or stand mixer, your call). I typically need to microwave it for 10 seconds as our kitchen is cool.
• Place softened butter, 1/3 cup molasses (or coconut nectar), 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and freshly grated 1 tbsp fresh ginger in bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. I use a silicone spatula to easily cream it all together.

Blend the dry and wet ingredients

• Mix the 1 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp hot water in small container to create a slurry.
• Mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using the stand mixer or silicon spatula (or wooden spoon). Don't mix entirely. Add baking soda slurry, mix (but don't overmix), then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Before fully incorporated, add the 4 oz 70% dark chocolate, cut into chunks, and 1/3 cup unsweetened dried cherries and use a fork to incorporate. To avoid tough cookies, you want the flour incorporated well, but you don't want to stir vigorously and you should stop as soon as the mixture comes together as in photos.

Bake the cookies

• Scoop dough up by tablespoonful, roll briefly in hands to smooth out, roll in a mixture of extra 1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tbsp five-spice powder, and lay on baking sheet 1-2" apart (I fit 16 balls on a 12" x 13" sheet).
• Bake for 12 minutes. When you remove cookies from oven they should still be soft and should not have browned or collapsed.
• Drop the baking sheet onto the counter, so as not to disturb the cookies other than they will collapse slightly for a perfect chewy texture.
• I like to pull the parchment sheet off the hot baking sheet, with the cookies on it, so they cool and do not cook any further.
• If desired, sprinkle with more of the sugar/five-spice powder mixture.
• Store as you like, or freeze.