Homemade Gingersnaps

Homemade gingersnaps are a classic, crispy cookie with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. They’re easy to make and will quickly become your favorite comfort food cookie.

Been kind of a crazy week around here. I don’t know why I say that because what week isn’t crazy, really? I’m working on the fourth installment of the Fear Not Bread series, which I will post on Sunday night, but until then, I thought I would share  my favorite fall cookie: homemade gingersnaps.

I know that come fall, most people crave apple-y, pumpkin-y sort of stuff. I unequivocally lump myself into that category. There is just something about the crisp fall air that makes my soul yearn for harvest-like baked goods. I can power down a pumpkin donut with the best of them. Or an apple fritter. Sometimes both. But only if I can take a sugar-induced nap.

However the main reason I like the apple-y or pumpkin-y things is for the spices they contain. I can’t get enough warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

Hmmm…I guess that kind of explains my chai tea addiction.

Homemade gingersnaps are a favorite because they have all the warm spices that I crave, and pack a wallop of a crunch. (Think biscotti, but without the whole twice baking thing.) And they were one of my grandma’s favorites, so they remind me of her.

This recipe make a ton of cookies, about 6 1/2 dozen. That just means they will last more than two days in my house, but if you don’t strive to eat your weight in cookies,  feel free to cut the recipe it in half.

Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Gingersnaps

2 C. granulated sugar (for dough)

1 ½  C. shortening

½  C. molasses

2 eggs

4 C. all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cloves

½  tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. salt

1 C. light brown sugar (for coating)

Cream the shortening and the granulated sugar together until they are nice and fluffy. That’s about 5 minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs and molasses, and stir until well incorporated. You can see that I was making a half batch of cookies, thus only one egg. Hubby doesn’t really care for ginger, and I didn’t want to eat my weight in homemade gingersnaps today. Tomorrow’s another story.

See how pretty and caramel-y the molasses makes it look? I’m drooling already.

Measure the flour into a medium sized bowl, and throw in baking soda and salt. Then add all the spicy goodness: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and dry mustard. Yes, I said dry mustard. Weird, I know. Trust me when I tell you that just a bit of dry mustard gives the cookies a nice finish. Don’t skip it! But whatever you do, do not, I repeat, do not substitute prepared mustard for the dry mustard. That may work in a pinch for savory recipes, but cookies are another matter. Your cookies will never be the same, if you add prepared mustard to them.

Or so I’m told.

Whisk the dry stuff together until everything is fairly evenly distributed. Then add it in 3 additions to the wet stuff, stirring until well combined.

Place the brown sugar into a shallow bowl, and whisk it to break up any large clumps. My brown sugar was starting to dry out a bit, so I had a whole lot o’ whisking to do.

Roll tablespoon sized balls of dough around in your hands to make a 1-inch ball. Roll the dough balls in the brown sugar until they are coated on all sides. Place the sugared dough balls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15  minutes, or until lightly browned.  Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy the super-crunchy, warm and spicy, homemade gingersnaps!

Try dipping your homemade gingersnaps in a chai latte or fresh cup of coffee. You’ll swoon!

Kirsten Kubert

Yields 78

Homemade Gingersnaps

Makes 6 1/2 dozen cookies (Recipe may be halved.)

10 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

25 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 2 C. granulated sugar (for dough)
• 1 1/2 C. shortening
• 1/2 C. molasses
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 C. all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard (do not substitute prepared mustard)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C. granulated sugar (for coating)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
2. Cream together shortening and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
3. Add the beaten eggs and molasses. Stir to combine.
4. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, dry mustard and salt to a medium sized bowl, and whisk to combine.
5. Add dry ingredients to shortening mixture, mixing until just combined.
6. Place 1 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll tablespoonfuls of cookie dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven and allow cookies to stand on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to completely cool. Cookies will be very crisp.

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https://comfortablydomestic.com/2010/10/gingersnaps/

Comfortably Domestic - 2016