These cookies disappear fast in our house. In fact, we all seem unable to resist them when they’re still warm from the oven. (Maybe that’s why they seem to go so quickly.) They’re soft and chewy, with just the right balance of sweetness and spice. I love the way they look, too. I used to make the dough using softened butter in my stand mixer, per the instructions, but I’ve found that melting the butter, instead of creaming it, and stirring the dough by hand yields a tenderer cookie. For an even softer result, use half butter, half solid vegetable shortening.