Do you find as soon as the weather cools you want to bake? I certainly do. With our recent chill and rain, as well as the request to stay off the roads I turned to my Grandmother’s recipe box seeking a new recipe to make.
I wanted to make something that felt like fall. Earthy, soul-warming and not fussy. I found a recipe torn from a newspaper or magazine for Chewy Ginger Snaps. It seemed perfect with the earthy flavors of cloves, ginger and cinnamon, sparked up with diced crystallized ginger.
I do love a good ginger snap though they are sometimes too dry. They often feel more like an upper palate exfoliant than a cookie. These cookies are the meeting ground for the quintessential ginger snap flavors in a chewy cookie. Best of both worlds. Fall starts this weekend. This recipe gets a jump on it!
Chewy Ginger Snaps
Ingredients
ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted Butter , softened
- 1 cup granulated Sugar (plus 1/2-3/4 cups extra for rolling the cookies before baking)
- ¼ cup Molasses
- 1 Egg , room temperature and lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder (see Notes below)
- 2 cups flour (I used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Flour blend; can use all purpose flour if not making them gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon ground Cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground Ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 ounces Crystallized Ginger , diced
Instructions
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together baking powder, flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a second mixing bowl, with a mixer cream the softened butter. Add the sugar and beat to fully combine.
- Add the molasses and egg; beat on low to combine (do not over mix).
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating on low speed, adding a small amount and allowing it to incorporate before adding more.
- Stir in crystallized ginger.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until dough is fully chilled and stiff.
- Ten minutes before the hour chilling time is done, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place enough sugar to roll the dough in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Place in sugar and roll the dough ball to fully cover.
- Place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper allowing 2 inch spacing between them. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Allow cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes or until set.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe called for Baking Soda. I found however that when using baking soda, the cookies flattened and spread, versus keeping their beautiful shape when using baking powder. This may be related to using gluten-free flour as the original recipe was not originally gluten-free.
Adri says
Well, I am thinking your Grandmother’s recipe box holds a treasure trove. These look wonderful, and your photos are beautiful. You made me laugh aloud with your remark about the upper palate exfoliant. I understand exactly what you mean!
These cookies just look so homey and full of the flavors of Fall. They bring back lots of childhood memories. Brava!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Adri and as always it’s such a pleasure when you visit! These do bring back childhood memories, don’t they? I think they are one of those cookies that are probably not most people’s first choice given gooey Chocolate Chip, or Peanut Butter or Oatmeal cookies, but they are a reliable staple, always there throughout our lifetimes signalling the cool weather descending with their deep flavor. This recipe was a wine with the chewy quality. And the flavor can’t be beat with the crystallized ginger.
Gina says
YUM! I definitely want to bake now that the weather has cooled. My dad just told me that he was able to get his hands on my great grandmother’s recipes for me- I can’t wait for him to bring them to me on his next visit. So many family favorites. It’s so nice to be able to enjoy recipes from the past isn’t it?
Toni Dash says
You know Gina in my case when my Grandmother passed 8 years ago now my family was taking care of her belongings and my mother suggested I take the recipe box. I loved all the simple things of hers; a little red and Swingline stapler, an icing spatula, those little things that integrated her into my everyday ordinary activities. This was before I had my blog and I had no idea how I’d draw from it! I feel I’ve relived history, seeing both my Grandmother’s and Great Grandmother’s handwriting on the recipes. It’s given pause for thought (and a bit of awe) when realizing I may be making a recipe my G. Grandmother did 100 years ago! Mind boggling isn’t it? It reminds we are all tied through our food and no matter how much things change, things also maintain a commonality with a bygone era! I hope you too will love your travels with your Great Grandmother’s recipes!
Liz says
Love ginger snaps. Thanks very much
Toni Dash says
Well if you love ginger snaps, you will absolutely love these Liz! The flavor is so bright. Reminds clearly fall has arrived!
Viviane Bauquet Farre - Food and Style says
These came out beautifully, Toni. Just the words “crystallized ginger” make my mouth water!
Toni Dash says
Me too Viviane! They have spunk!
Lynn says
How funny is your comment about some ginger snaps being upper palate exfoliants! I’m a fan of the soft, chewy kind and ginger are my very favorite. Always on the look out for variations. Haven’t quite mastered recreating the “Viking Vegan Ginger Cookie” or the “Nana’s Wheat Free Ginger Cookie” but every new variation is one to add to the mix 😉
Toni Dash says
Wow! There are Viking Vegan’s with their own cookies. What next! Fortunately for me this one was easily adaptable to be gluten-free with a mere swap of the flour. The crystallized ginger in these boost the depth of flavor incredibly. You sound to be a ‘ginger snap connoisseur’ Lynn; please report back if you make these on how they stand up to your exotic collection of other recipes!
Jenn says
These look awesome, Toni! I will have to test them with my flour blend (sadly cannot get GF KA flour here), I know my husband misses these cookies a lot!
Toni Dash says
Belated thanks for your comment Jenn (and other help via email!). I certainly think these are worth trying with your flour blend. I always cite blends I use more for those who don’t want to make their own. I do like King Arthur as it has a pretty neutral flavor and a light consistency more like a cake flour to me, but with your experience I’m sure you will make these shine! The depth of spice and lively ginger from the crystallized ginger makes these so good and I love them being chewy instead of brittle. Hope your husband will enjoy them!
Erika says
I love the background in these photos! What is that amazing blue color from?
Toni Dash says
Thank you Erika! It is a canvas I found. I love it too!
Paula says
delicious ginger cookies-I used these with fresh peach ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches.
Toni Dash says
YUM!! That sounds great Paula.
Theresa says
I love chewy ginger snaps!!