Guest Post: Lazy Gingersnaps

What can I say about today's guest? A lot!!! I have known her for years...she is one of my favorite cousins. When she agreed to write a post I was secretly hoping she would post one of her recipes. Lucky for us she did just that. She always has the best recipes!!!


Gingersnaps have been one of my favorite cookies since I was a child. My parents would break out the trusty Fannie Farmer's cookbook, falling apart at the seams from overuse, and we would make the recipe for old-fashioned Gingersnaps. The original recipe says to roll them out "as thin as possible", but as I remember my father finding out, if you can see through the dough, you've rolled them too thin. Paper-thin is too thin, 1/8" is just about right. 

These may be the very best cookies to eat with a glass of milk, and as a bonus the dough contains no raw eggs, so it's completely safe to eat raw! 

Traditionally the dough is rolled and cut into small circles with a cookie cutter, but I find that the dough hardens and becomes impossible to work with the more you work it... so instead I cut it into pieces with a pizza cutter. The cookies might not be as pretty, but it's a lot faster and the flavor is exactly the same. 

I tend to make these cookies with whole wheat flour, but white flour or a blend of flours works just as well. I've even made them with a gluten-free flour blend and they were just as delicious. 

These are super simple, and mix up and bake fast, so there's no excuse to not make some up!

Gingersnaps

1/2 cup dark molasses

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp ginger powder (or 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger)

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350*

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the molasses, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the mixture boils. 

Remove from heat and quickly throw the dry ingredients on top, stirring together well with the wooden spoon. 

While it is still hot, dump it out onto a clean, lightly-floured countertop, press to flatten, and then roll quite thin. (about 1/8 inch thick)

With a clean pizza cutter, cut into squares or rectangles, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. They do not spread as they bake, so they can be placed very close together. 

Bake for 5 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed. Remove them to a cooling rack. They will be soft, but should crisp up and become properly crunchy once they cool. 

Enjoy!

P.S. Get better soon Michael!

- Zay

You can find more wonderful recipes and fun crafts on her blog Chocolate Coated Crochet Hooks.