Old-Fashioned Gingersnaps

I love Gingersnaps! I am going to bring some cookies to some friends tomorrow morning. I can't be trusted with them in the house!

When I was in Junior League I was on several different committees and this one woman was on several of the same committees year after year we were on the same committee. And she would always make these awesome Gingersnaps! At almost every committee meeting she would make her fantastic Gingersnaps. Several people (including myself) asked her for the recipe and she refused to share. So whenever I see a Gingersnap recipe I always try it in the hope that it will be similar to  my nameless Junior League friend.

This recipe that I found in the October 2013 issue of Better Homes and Gardens was just about perfect. I love a Gingersnap with cracks on top that is just a little chewy.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup unsulfured dark molasses (not blackening)

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup coarse sugar such as turbinado

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger, cinnamon , nutmeg, allspice and salt. Whisk the ingredients together and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, granulated sugar, the last tablespoon of the grated ginger and egg.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stir well until a dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

After the dough has chilled set the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the turinado sugar in a small shallow bowl.

 Roll the dough into a 1 inch in diameter balls.

Roll the balls into the turbinado sugar Space the balls on the prepared baking sheets about  2 inches apart.

Bake in the 350 degree oven for 10 minutes for a soft chewy cookie or 12 minutes for more of the traditional crunchy snap. Switch the baking sheets between the racks halfway through the baking process. I switched mine at 5 minutes because I like a softer Gingersnap. Perhaps you want a crisper Gingersnap switch at 6 minutes.

Once you remove the cookies from the oven use a spatula and transfer the cookies onto wire racks.

Notes: while the cookies are baking your house has the most wonderful smell. This recipe makes approximately 40 cookies.

Served with a tall glass of milk these cookies are the perfect after school snack.