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Ginger Snap Cookies

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Ginger Snap Cookies

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This is the first time I’ve ever made Ginger Snap Cookies.  I never realized how easy and tasty homemade Ginger Snaps could be.  This is why blogging is so awesome.  If someone asked me why I like (love) to cook, bake and photograph my efforts, this is what I would tell them.  Publishing a food blog pushes me to try new things, new recipes, new ingredients, new flavors, with great delight I might add.  Not that cinnamon, ginger, molasses and cloves are new to me.  But homemade Ginger Snaps are, and have become, an immediate family favorite.
 
It’s been way too long since I pulled out my Kitchen Aid mixer.  I actually had to dust it off a bit.  Creaming butter, sugars and molasses is very therapeutic.  For me anyway.
After creaming the sugar and butters together, mix the dry ingredients.  Can’t you just smell the spicy cinnamon, ginger and cloves?  This combination smells like fall, Thanksgiving, family and grandmothers.
Refrigerate the dough for about an hour then roll into 1 inch balls.  Roll the balls in granulated sugar and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Press each dough ball with the bottom of a small glass to flatten the cookie slightly.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes.  Immediately remove to a rack to cool completely.  TIP:  If using the same cookie sheet for each batch, do not put the sugared raw dough balls on a hot pan.  Roll each cookie and place them on a piece of parchment paper laying on your cool work surface.  Once there are enough to bake, pick up the parchment paper and dough balls and quickly place them on the warm cookie sheet.  Press them with the bottom of the glass and bake.  The idea is to prevent them from melting before they get in the oven.  If you put raw dough on a hot cookie sheet, they will spread too much and become thin.  Just saying 🙂
If you can keep these around long enough you can use some of the cookies in other desserts.  You know I made another dessert with these Ginger Snaps and pumpkin so check back next week for the results of that fun combination.
 Ginger Snap Cookies ~ Saving Room for Dessert

Ginger Snap Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen
Course: Dessert
Author: Tricia
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5 from 2 votes
Wonderfully spiced Ginger Snap Cookies - so easy to make and even easier to eat!

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Extra 1 cup of granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the molasses, egg and vanilla.  Gently mix until incorporated.  In a separate medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar until incorporated.  Cover and chill the cookie dough for about an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Place 1 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in the granulated sugar until covered.  Place each dough ball on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. With the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies slightly.
  • Bake for about 12-15 minutes.  Mine we perfect at 14 minutes but start checking them at the 12 minute mark.  For a crisper cookie, bake a minute or two longer.  Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

  • (adapted from a recipe on Joy of Baking)
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 818kcal | Carbohydrates: 117g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 1126IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 5mg
*  Sulphured and Unsulphured Molasses  “Molasses made from young sugar cane is called sulphured molasses because of the sulfur dioxide that is added to keep the raw cane fresh until it is processed and to preserve the molasses byproducts produced from it. Unsulphured molasses is made from matured cane plants that have been allowed to ripen naturally in the field. Blackstrap molasses can be sulphured or unsulphured. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says sulfur dioxide is “generally recognized as safe” for use as a preservative — except on meats of vegetables meant to be sold as fresh food.”
 

Our son and his future wife stopped by last night for dinner.  We shared our cookies and talked about the plans for the week.  They’re getting married in 6 days so we’re deep in the details and the excitement!  I need to get this house cleaned so off I go to work on my list.    Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia

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21 Comments

  1. Miss Smart

    I have never made ginger snaps either! I actually prefer my ginger cookies to be soft and chewy…except actually as I write that I realize I love those super thin Moravian type of ginger snaps, and really, the cheap ones in the orange and black box are delicious too. So, I guess I'll eat any ginger cookie you want to give me.<br /><br />:)

    Reply

  7. Stella B's Kitchen

    I agree 100% about blogging and trying new recipes. It really does get me out of my box (a little). These remind me so much of my Grandma Stella. I don't have a gingersnap recipe, these look great! Good luck this week and enjoy your family!!

    Reply

  9. scrambledhenfruit

    We love gingersnaps at our house, especially when the weather gets chilly like it is right now. There's nothing like the smell that comes from the kitchen when they're baking! Yours are beautiful- don't know how you have the time to bake with a wedding so near! Congratulations to the happy couple. 🙂

    Reply

  12. Patricia@ButterYum

    First, congrats on your son's upcoming wedding. How exciting!!!<br /><br />Second, I'm so going to be making these cookies. We love gingersnaps. Thanks so much for the inspiration.<br /><br />PS – you are so right about food blogging!!!

    Reply

    • Tricia

      Can't wait to see those gigantic soft cookies – they sound terrific. The basket came from Africa – a gift from my sister-in-law. She was traveling there on behalf of the zoo she worked for at the time. I love that basket and use it when I can!

      Reply

  15. The Café Sucré Farine

    You're quite amazing Tricia – having a wedding in less than a week and still having time to bake and blog. These cookies wouldn't last a day in my house no matter what type of container I put them in! I seem to have super sleuths around this house, at least when it comes to sweets, that is!

    Reply

    • Tricia

      In 2011 I made a pie each week for the entire year. While I enjoyed that so much, I ate way too much pie. My husband was after me before the year was even over to make 2012 the year of the cookie. He brought that up again – looking forward to 2013 already! Isn't it enough that I make dessert once a week already???? I guess not – cookies monsters are everywhere! Have a great week.

      Reply

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