Ginger Snap Cookies are known for being thin and crispy. They’re also known for their distinct ginger and molasses flavours. With a dusting of coarse sugar on top, these are sure to be loved by all!
Fall has come and gone, and Christmas has too. Here we are in the middle of winter and I’m making Ginger Snap Cookies. It just goes to prove that the flavours of spices we have long associated with fall such as cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and of course, ginger, are good anytime you feel like it!
For me, winter brings with it comfort, not only in terms of outdoor temperatures, but also in terms of more clothing options. I, for one, love to wear sweaters, coats, and long pants. I love mittens and scarfs – but, not hats! Oftentimes, I skip the scarf too, but I always skip the hat!
I hate wearing hats, because I’m one of those guys that will style my hair every single day. Bad or not, I’m not covering it up with a hat no matter how cold it can be outside!
Another comfort associated with winter is staying home more. There’s new seasons of your favourite television shows; there’s the comforts of new decor for your home, and we can’t forget the addition of more blankets to our beds! That, in itself is just glorious to me!
And, in typical foodie fashion, winter comfort also brings with it the best foods and recipes. I love to cook and bake, so when the colder temperatures set in, I’m excited to turn on my oven. Bring on the roasting and braising season!
Winter is the best time of year for a food blogger. With Christmas over, and the kids back to school, (Thank the Lord!) moms and dads start getting back into routines as well, and those routines include cooking and baking.
As much as I love to cook, I love to bake even more. There are times when I wish my blog was only about baking, but then I’d miss out on sharing some of my fall soups and stews. And, if I baked every day, I’d spend all of my money constantly buying clothes in larger sizes. So, no!
Ginger Snap Cookies are a great introduction to winter baking. The flavours are warm and soothing, and the smells are familar and welcoming. In fact, the ginger flavour in this particular recipe is so dominant that the cookie actually feels hot and spicy on the tongue.
When a Ginger Snap Cookie can create a hot and spicy sensation when being eaten, you know you’ve got yourself an authentic Ginger Snap Cookie recipe! That was the one thing that I loved most about this recipe. The crispy, sugary coating is great, but the heat is glorious!
As you can see in the photographs, my version of Ginger Snap Cookies are quite large. I actually only got 14 cookies from this batch. You can make the cookies smaller by using less cookie dough when you form the balls. Please see the recipe card for details.
Finally, I apologize for that purple ribbon, but what’s done is done. At the time, I thought it would look great, and it did through the viewfinder of my camera. Here though, not so much. That will just encourage me to remake these very soon and update the photos.
What are your thoughts? Should the purple ribbon stay or get the boot? Ha!
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Ginger Snap Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup fancy molasses
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup course sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand held mixer to blend the shortening and sugar until well blended.
- Add the egg and molasses. Blend until well incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon. Blend until just mixed with the wet ingredients.
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons of the cookie dough into your hands and roll into a ball. Roll the ball into the course sugar. Set the ball onto the baking sheet, and use a flat-bottomed glass or cup to flatten the cookie to roughly 1/4 of an inch. (You can use less dough, but no less than 1 tablespoon, to make more cookies.)
- Once the cookies are flattened, sprinkle the tops with just a little bit more course sugar (optional) and bake for exactly 13 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 2 minutes and then transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling. (Cookies will be soft, but will harden and crisp up as they cool.)
Nutrition
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Danielle Wolter says
gingersnaps are good any time of the year! anything with gingerbread flavor is some of my favorite dessert. In the summer just crumble these up o some lemon ice cream – yum!
Swathi says
I like this thin and crispy ginger snaps, Yes I agree with you we can have them anytime of the day. I love to use fresh ginger along with ground ginger to make it more gingery, your version is also good with sugar coated top.
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
These look so good, and they taste even better! I love gingersnaps, and the sprinkle of course sugar takes this recipe over the top for me- yum! Perfect with a hot cup of coffee.
April says
Fantastic cookies to bring as a present. And it’s been a while since I mixed ginger and molasses flavors, so it is about time to do it again! These cookies look amazing!
GUNJAN C Dudani says
Love this fall season where I can again bake these ginger snap cookies. These are absolutely delcious and worth baking frequently.
Danielle says
Fabulous cookies that are the perfect cookie box present for the coming holidays. Love the purple color and definitely the way the cookies look!
Melissa says
They look delicious, I think everyone has some memory of enjoying these in childhood – I will definitely be making them this holiday season! Also, I don’t mind the purple ribbon- it’s a nice contrast to the cookies and makes them look like they are ready to gift to a special someone <3
byronethomas@gmail.com says
🙂 Thank you, Melissa!
Julie says
*coarse sugar, people
Deb says
The perfect ginger snap!
Margaret says
Can I replace shortening with coconut oil?