To snap or not to snap?

Ginger Cookies

No, this isn’t a post about irritability vs. patience or the really cold weather we’ve had here lately or even the inaccurately named shelled creatures that are quickly running out of natural habitat because they are indeed too slow. No, it’s just my attempt at a snappy headline to introduce this recipe for ginger cookies. Of course, the above photo was a huge clue, right?

This particular batch of ginger cookies was baked so I could crumble them to make a crust for a pumpkin cheesecake. Luckily, this recipe makes a lot of cookies and there were plenty to munch on after making the crust. The recipe is adapted from one of my favourite cookbooks, The Joy of Cooking.

Now, let’s snap back to the question of the day … do you want a ginger cookie with snap or no snap? With this recipe, you can have both. It all depends on how long you bake the dough. For snap, overbake slightly; for a more tender cookie, underbake a bit. In the above photo, the snaps are the darker coloured cookies on the top layer; the chewier ginger cookies are the lighter coloured ones on the bottom layer.

If you’ve only had gingersnaps from the grocery store, try making your own ginger cookies. The taste is superior and you can decide on the texture. You might have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. Your kitchen will smell wonderful and your cookie craving will be well satisfied. What are you waiting for? Snap to it. (Or not.)

MA’s Ginger Cookies

Preheat oven to 350º F.

The dry ingredients

3 3/4 cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp salt

1 ¾ cups butter, softened

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 eggs

½ cup molasses

2 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp grated lemon zest

Cream butter and sugar

In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl or in a Kitchen Aid mixer, cream butter and sugar until well blended.

Add eggs, molasses, juice & zest

Add eggs, molasses, juice and zest to butter/sugar mixture and mix until everything is combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Roll it and pat it

Pinch off pieces of dough and roll each into 1” balls. Place balls about 1 ½ inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Pat each ball down slightly.

Bake, one sheet at a time – about 10 minutes for a tender, chewy cookie, about 13 to 15 minutes for a snappy, crunchy cookie.

Remove cookies sheet to rack and let stand a few minutes until the cookies firm slightly.

Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

Printable Recipe for MA's Ginger Cookies