Ginger Snaps

Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, molasses, and rolled in sugar. The perfect gingerbread cookie.
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My mom’s Ginger Snap cookies are another holiday staple in my family. This is another recipe that we always bake around Christmas time, and these cookies are always included in the baked goods that we give out to friends and neighbors.

They have all the spices associated with gingerbread, and then they are rolled in sugar before baking, giving them a perfect sweetness.

I have never quite understood why they are called Ginger Snaps, since they do anything but snap. They are a very soft and chewy cookie, which is the best kind. But still, the name stuck.

These cookies are easy to make. You mix all the dry ingredients into a bowl, and then cut in butter shortening. This can be found in the baking aisle of your local grocery store. It is found near the Crisco and cooking sprays. By "cut in" the shortening, I mean exactly that: cutting. With the shortening in the bowl of dry ingredients, take 2 knives and hold them point down, crossing each other in an X shape. And then proceed to cut the shortening into small pieces. It will seem a little messy at first, and it seems like it will take forever. But the shortening starts to mix with the dry ingredients some, and that seems to make it seem like it's going faster. It doesn't have to be perfect, you just don't want to be left with large clumps of shortening.

After cutting in the shortening, you simply mix in some molasses and an egg. Then your dough is ready. Roll the dough into balls, roll them in sugar, and bake them.

You know they are done baking with the tops of the cookies just begin to crack. If you're not sure, better to go ahead and pull them out. It's always better for cookies to be under done than over.

Ginger Snaps

Yield: about 40 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 c sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 2 c all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ¾ c butter shortening
  • ¼ c molasses
  • 1 egg

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheet.
  2. Mix dry ingredients in bowl.
  3. Cut in butter shortening. To do this, place the shortening in the bowl of dry ingredients. Hold 2 knives, point down and crossed in an X shape, and proceed to cut the shortening into small pieces.
  4. Mix in molasses and egg.
  5. Roll dough into 1" balls. Roll in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake 10 minutes, or until tops just begin to crack.

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