And then, just like that, I decided not to work anymore. It’s weird, I finished my manuscript and I was raring to go — reshoots! edits! let’s talk design! — for about two days and then, almost out of curiosity, I closed the elaborate spreadsheet that owns me tracks all the recipes, photos, intros and progress in the manuscript, just to see if it could close, after being open for more than a year, and it did. And then, I didn’t reopen it. I pulled on my boots and wandered all over the city, eating roasted chestnuts from a street cart, buying glitter nail polish, delighting in the carpet of golden leaves underfoot and being fantastically schedule-free. So far today, I drank a latte — sitting down I might add, and not while rushing to the grocery store because I ran out of flour again — and I’m thinking about making some applesauce. Or trying again to convince my husband that we should paint the living room. Or maybe I’ll take a nap when the kid does? Clearly, I have some tough decision making ahead.
The good news is that being here doesn’t feel remotely like work; I am simply delighted to be back. And so, let’s talk about the gingersnaps that I also made just for the heck of it, just because I could, earlier this week. They’re thin and intensely spiced and quite snappy — buttery crisp at the perimeter, tentatively approaching tender and chewy towards the center, but not committing to it. I know that ginger junkies tend to like gingersnaps that are closer to ginger bombs, with grated fresh ginger and/or nuggets of candied ginger, but these (unless you make a couple tweaks, which I will attempt to suggest) are not that kind of snap. These are the kinds your grandmother might have made, as evidenced by the healthy helping of dark, funky and impossibly thick molasses.
And it was from these molasses that I had an a-ha moment. Way back in 2006, when this site was a newborn (one baby, job, apartment and two cameras ago), the fourth post, ever, contained three recipes for what I considered ideal large cookies for ice cream sandwiches. [By the way, I brought them to a friend’s birthday party that night and they were a disaster — not the cookies themselves but the logistics of eating a massive ice cream sandwich before it melts everywhere on a hot summer night on a Brooklyn rooftop. We all went with ice cream smudges on our arms. Ah, summer.] Anyway, in the lineup was a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for molasses spice cookies. I wanted to see how the gingersnaps I’d made would compare to them and was shocked to find the two recipes to be nearly exactly the same, ingredient for ingredient. I then turned to Google to find more gingersnap recipes and again, discovered that a whole lot of gingersnap recipes agree with one another.
In a different week, I might have fretted over this. I would feel the need to tweak them, to offer you an improvement upon the gingersnap status quo. Not this week, though. This week, it’s clear to me that if many people agree on what Gingersnap Greatness should taste like, I should feel no need to argue. I have a playground date to attend to, after all, and then maybe a nap.
You know what these go great with? Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings. Swear it.
One year ago: Creamed Onions with Bacon Chives and Sweet Corn Spoonbread
Two years ago: Creamed Spinach and Gingerbread Apple Upside Down Cake
Three years ago: Olive Oil Muffins, Chicken Pot Pie, Chocolate Toffee Cookies and Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Peppers
Four years ago: Creamy White Polenta with Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts in Browned Butter and Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie
Five years ago: Grilled Cheese and Cream of Tomato Soup, Cranberry Sauce, Three Ways, No Knead Bread and Tomato and Sausage Risotto (so perfect for the current cold snap!)
Gingersnaps
Barely adapted from Sweet Melissa Patisserie, Cook’s Illustrated and a few other places
Yield: About 4 dozen
2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 to 3 grams) table salt
3 teaspoons (6 grams) ground ginger
1 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 sticks (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (96 grams) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup (79 ml) unsulphured molasses
Optional, for even more of a ginger kick: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (with the wet ingredients) or 1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced candied ginger (with the dry ingredients).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy, about three minutes on medium. Add egg and molasses and beat until combined. Add dry ingredient and beat at low speed until just combined. Thoroughly scrape down bowl, ensuring ingredients are evenly mixed.
Transfer your cookie dough to plastic wrap — mine was quite soft and I felt like I was spreading frosting over plastic. I used a plate to support it. Chill in fridge for at least two hours, until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll dough into 1-inch balls and spread at least two inches apart on baking sheets that have either been greased or lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, which is a long range. In the 10 to 12 range, the cookies will be softer. In the 13 to 15 range, a bit snappier. In both cases, you’ll want to leave them on their baking sheets for long enough that they’re firm enough to be transferred to a cooling rack with a spatula, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Cool cookies completely before packing up.
Do ahead: In an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will soften a bit each day. Cookies keep for one week at room temperature or one month in the freezer. For even fresher cookies, you can keep balls of the unbaked dough in the freezer for up to two weeks and bake them as you need them, say, on Thanksgiving morning?
Gingersnaps are one of my favorites! I love putting fresh and crystallized ginger in as well. I am totally salivating right now.
yum, one of my very favorite cookies, especially yummy at this time of year too
Oh I absolutely love gingersnaps. They are the perfect holiday cookie.
I’m so glad you’re getting a chance to relax a bit and do whatever you want! But even more glad that you’re still posting here :)
Ginger bombs…I LOVE it! I would devour every.single.one of those.
There must be a reason why they say as slow as molasses on a January morning! You are a woman of your word. You promised us ginger snaps to go alongside our pumpkin puddings, and you did not disappoint!
welcome “back” – you are at the tippy top of my all-time fave blogs and I cannot WAIT for your book! I love gingersnaps and will be making these for my “muppet” soon!
Do you happen to have weight measurements for the dry ingredients? (My scale, I am obsessed with it!)
Weights — Yes. I’ll add them when I get back from the playground. :)
I was just looking for a gingersnap recipe so I will definitely be trying yours!
It is SO nice to do something just because you want to and not because you have to. Congratulations on a break from all of your hard work!
Aw, seriously just a teeeeny bit verklempt about this sentence: “The good news is that being here doesn’t feel remotely like work; I am simply delighted to be back.”
Since reading your stories and recipes and looking through your photos (even for inveterate lurkers like me!) is like sitting in someone’s cozy kitchen chatting over cups of tea while something delectable bakes or bubbles in the background, can I just say that it is lovely to have you back?
I am really looking forward to your book, but I’m so glad you were able to ‘shut it down’! I love traditional gingersnap cookies (just like grandma used to make) and can’t wait to give this recipe a try :-)
So good to have you back and what a recipe! One of my all time favourite cookies and now I can finally bake them at home. Thank you so much.
these look great–can you tell me where you got your spice containers? i’ve been on the hunt for something like this for awhile, and cannot seem to find ones that are aesthetically pleasing and get the job done.
Love gingersnaps. LOVE. When I was pregnant, I craved them all the time, the only sweet thing I could stomach. Shamefully, I’ve never actually MADE them. Will definitely have to remedy that with these lovelies.
welcome back! I can’t wait to see the book
I made these for Christmas and they were perfect. I will be making them more often since they are better than any I can buy in any bakery
Gingersnaps = my favorite holiday treat! I love these photos of the ooey gooey molasses.
ohhh…I love gingersnaps! I’ve been making gingersnap sandwich cookies for years. I take two cookies and spread a thin layer of raspberry jam between them. It’s like the best of the holiday and summer flavors all wrapped up in one snappy bite!
What a perfect compliment to the previous entry and even your suggestion to serve the baked pumpkin pudding with gingersnaps. I am tempted to make these and freeze them until T-Day. mmmm
Can’t wait to try these. I’ve always wanted to make gingersnaps!
Have you ever tried making a sandwich out of these with a lemon cream filling? It would be like the Carr’s Ginger Lemon Creme cookies!!
These also might go well in a certain pear-cranberry recipe I made last week…
Today my husband cleaned my kitchen in preparation for Thanksgiving. After these pork carnitas are done cooking I think I should further christian the kitchen with gingersnap dough balls to go in the freezer for Thanksgiving. Although the one problem is my kitchen is clean, my freezer is still packed. Thanks for the recipe.
These look fantastic. I’m just coming into my ginger-liking phase. Made gingerbread for the first time last year and I’m determine to give these a try soon! Do you think they would suffer from having black pepper instead of white if I didn’t get to the store in time? PS- long time reader, first time poster. Thanks for the great recipes, stories, and adorable kid pics!
Those look fantastic. And I’ll bet your glitter nail polish does too! =)
I’m so glad your back. So very glad. Also, contrary to your assumption in the pudding post, I have not yet found my ideal gingersnap recipe and i’ve been looking. And since I love everything from you I have high hopes. Congrats on the lazy day & I can’t wait for the cookbook :)
I love gingersnaps! Anything ginger, really. Thanks; I’ll give these a go soon.
Also, I must know: where did you get those wonderful little spice jars??
Oh goodie! I’m so glad you put the recipe up as I’ve had these little cookies in the back of my mind since your last post. They look lovely and while I do like a ginger bomb, I could also go for the comfort of a cookie like the one my “grandmother would have made.” Maybe I will add these to my little project list for the weekend.
Ahhh I love that Cook’s recipe! So much so that I MADE THEM WHILE I WAS IN LABOR, so that I would have cookies to eat in the hospital and during the first challenging days of nursing. Thank you for sharing! Makes me want to go and mix up a batch right now.
FYI
http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/how-to-make-an-overly-obsessive-spice-rack/
She talks about the spice jars here.
Welcome back! Just in time for the holidays. You must be loving life. And I’m loving knowing that the cookbook is one step closer to being real :)
Why white pepper, rather than black? I assume black pepper would work just as well, no?
that molasses looks very dark, is that blackstrap molasses?
You are the love of my cooking life! <3
One thing I would add that is a very nice addition? When you roll them into balls, do so in granulated sugar. They develop a silght “crackle” and it also makes it easier, because, as you say, this dough is very soft and it acts as a barrier between the heat of your hand and an inherently soft dough.
Claire — The original Cook’s Illustrated recipe suggests that, which I forgot to mention. I made a few rolled in superfine sugar but didn’t see much of a difference. With some coarse sugar (not just granulated, but Tubinado or such) I think it could be really sparkly.
Molasses — I used the stuff you see here. Oddly, it doesn’t say blackstrap but I don’t think that means it isn’t. It is unsulphured, FWIW.
ooh i’ve never tried making some before. this looks good.
i adore molasses! gingersnaps may be my favorite cookie.
Your happiness at being back is shining through every word. Happy to see you back here! Love this recipe too!
Was just searching for ginger recipes. They look great!
Awesome!! This helps me feed my addiction to the box of ginger snaps i polished off this week after making the crumble
Yay, I’m glad you’re back! :-) I can’t wait for the cookbook!
mmm, ginger snaps without the orange and black box?!?!?!? I like my mother before me, tend to like my ginger snaps a bit on the stale side, with butter on them. Weird I know, it’s a family thing I got though.
I could use one of these right now with a cup of tea to end a long work week. I might have to make these this weekend. Thank you for sharing. Inspired to take a day off with no agenda, to wander about.
A nap? What’s that?
Those look absolutely divine. I will add them to my list of things to try when life slows down. (I hope they still have molasses in 2040.)
have a pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust in the queue for thursday, and these look like they’ll do the trick. thanks deb, so happy to see you around again!
Gingersnaps always remind me of summer at the Jersey Shore. They had the best ones in an orange box. Thanks for the recipe, I hope these taste the same!
Looking at your organized spices never gets old!
Would these make good cookies for the Pear, Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble you posted recently?
Enjoy your freedom and ability to do whatever you’d like (at least for now)! Sounds wonderful.
SO looking forward to the book!!!
These look so good! A friend of mine asked me to bake molasses cookies. Are gingersnaps same as molasses cookies?
These are my kind of cookie! I love a ginger cookie like grandma made. Yum!
so funny you should post this today — i am *literally* making your version of MS’s gingerbread cookies right now, as i type. curious though: how would you compare the flavors of this recipe to that one? are these as spicy and dark as the others? i decided to make the gingerbread cookies because my fiance has never had gingerbread before (gasp!), but he loves gingersnaps.
on a separate but related note, i just wanted to say that as a recent discoverer of your blog — and as someone who both never comments on blogs AND, until recently, was 100% convinced that i was *not* a baker — i can’t say how much i’ve loved all your recipes that i’ve tried so far!
erin — Thank you! The Martha Gingerbread is SUPER spicy and sturdy, perfect for rolling/shaping/houses/gingerbread men. This is more of a buttery cookie. Similar flavor profile but not as intensely spiced or tough. This would leave crumbs.
Spicy Gingerbread Cookies (for gingerbread men, houses, etc.) over here (for anyone who doesn’t know what we’re discussing!)
Jessica — Absolutely, in fact, from the same bakery/cookbook! If you make these, she recommends using 12 for the crumble topping.
OMG … I love gingersnaps! My mom used to give me a few everyday as a snack. I have to make these.
Wow! I am craving these. They look so crisp and amazing. My husband’s favorite cookie is gingersnaps. Maybe I will surprise him and bake some up.
So glad you are back! I cannot even express my excitement to a) one day own your cookbook and b) have you back!
Deb, you’re a mind reader! Gingersnaps are next in line on my list of things to bake! I noticed that this recipe is similar to my own (oddly similar). Conveniently enough, I’ve been thinking of tweaking mine a bit for a little more spice and crunch. I’ll be taking your recipe into consideration since you use more ginger and that white pepper :) Thanks!
beautiful! I love gingersnaps, and so does my bf’s dad! I think a batch of cookies is in order tonight :)
I knew that jar of molasses I bought for 900 yen at the expensive import grocery store would come in handy :) Thank you so much Deb, and I know you never really left us, but boy is it great to have you back!!
I just took a loaf of your “Jacked Up Banana Bread” out of the oven. It smells fabulous, the piece I nibbled off the top is divine, and I can’t wait to have a slice!!!
And gingersnaps? Well, I would eat them with a cat, I would eat them in a hat, I would eat them from a mat, or even while lying flat!!
Making these!!
SJ
yum love ginger and love molasses, especially this time of year. so those gingersnap cookies look delicious!!
Thank you. I have been (impatiently) waiting for this since the previous post in which you teased the existance of this recipe. You see, having made my husband choke down in the singular year we have been married no less than 5 attempts of gingersnaps, only 2 of which he recognized as such, it was all I could do to wait for you to get to posting gingersnaps. I know what we will be having for breakfast. As we are not going to a Brooklyn rooftop warmed by summer sun, perhaps vanilla ice cream will be the accompanyment. Ala Bill Cosby, it has an egg, add milk & it is breakfast. Thank you.
these remind me of the ginger crinkles my mimi used to make. they’re so completely addictive!
Thanks for posting this recipe. I cannot wait to make the pumpkin pudding and the gingersnaps..maybe thanksgiving dessert? I was wondering how this would go down as a base for a cheescake–too prone to burn?
These look delicious, I’m excited to try them out!
Cooking and baking, just for the heck of it, just because you can, is the best thing ever!
Love that you were able to do that.
And I love gingersnaps and molasses cookies and I’ve often thought many recipes overlapped and were extremely similar, and you just validated what I’ve found, too.
Yay! Thank you! I made the pear, cranberry, and gingersnap crumble (which was so delicious I ate it for breakfast 5 days in a row and didn’t feel guilty), but I used store bought gingersnaps, and I think they leave something to be desired. I also love the nectarine gingersnap tart, so this recipe will be well-used.
Wow, these look simply amazing! :) The perfect Fall snack I think!
Hi Deb, do you have a recipe for really crisp and thin gingersnaps?
P.S. We’re so happy that you’re so happy!
Hope you do get to take that nap. And man more of them, too. You earned it ;)
It’s nice to have you back, Deb! Like always, you swoop down and save me when I’m searching high and low for the just the right recipe, like I was today for gingersnaps to use with another recipe I’m making this weekend. Looking forward to the book release!
I can’t wait until I watch you on the Martha Stewart show with your cookbook and cooking or baking with Martha. Congratulations on sending the book off to the publisher. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Regarding the cookies thank you for the recipe perfect for pre-Thanksgiving weekend.
Congratulations on being done Deb! Cannot wait for the book, it’ll be book of the year ^_^
That brand of molasses is incredibly bitter, but it bakes up very nicely, deep and dark.
Just curious, what’s the difference between gingersnaps and gingerbread cookies? I looked at both of your recipes and they both look delish. I’m debating which one to bake.
I literally was just converting a recipe I found on a blog for miette’s gingersnaps from weights to cups (alas I still need to buy a scale) and then I come across this! I’ll have to make these as well.
and if you ever find yourself in the bay area, do try miette’s version. I quite literally couldn’t stand gingersnaps before – too dry, not gingery enough – then I tasted these two months ago and have been trying to recreate them ever since/resisting the urge to but ten dozen or so just for myself.
can’t wait to try these! congrats on finishing (well, mostly) and I cannot wait to see your book!
*sniff*! Being an expatriot is HARD in the kitchen. It took me YEARS to find corn syrup (found it in an Asian store of all places- Korean product… didn’t know they used corn syrup). I don’t know how long it will take me to find molasses, if ever (I live in France). Tell me, have you (or anybody) made gingersnaps without it??? If not, my children and I will have to go gingersnap-less. *sniff*
@ Rhonda – some of the same challenges here in Germany. I found molasses in the Organic food store – give it a shot – seems it is thought of as a “health” food here.
Like you success with corn syrup in the Asian stores, also peanut butter, PG Tipps tea bags, and brown sugar. Like a treasure chest they are!
Being able to walk away from an all-consuming project like that deserves congratulations in and of itself!
And these cookies sound festive, simple, and delicious. Something about cooking with molasses seems so timelessly American!
Mine didn’t turn out quite right- no snap, more cakey. I’ll try again- as much as I love to cook, baking is still not working for me (all those perfect measurements :))
Aha – very similar to mine, except I use Lyall’s Golden Syrup (oh the childhood memories) instead of molasses. Gingersnaps with molasses – hmmm maybe this holiday is the time to try it!
Deb, indeed sometimes it’s good not to be a maverick and to wisely follow main street. No need to change a recipe which hardly anybody disagree with.
This one is a keeper, I love ginger!!
Deb I think it would be great if you could add a summary of total preparation and cooking times above your list of ingredients, on each post. I know it’d help me a lot!
Thanks anyway for sharing this.
This is so yum ! i am going to try it soon and then dip a bit of it in melted chocolate : ) just one tiny thing..What can i use as a substitute for “unsulphured molasses”, can i use honey ? Thanks a lot !!
Thanks for the suggestion of freezing some of the cookie dough balls for later, I hardly bake anymore since our three chick-lets have flown the coop and a whole batch of cookies is not what I need to eat myself. Now when they visit I can have a sheet of fresh baked ‘snaps to welcome them!
These look like the Ginger Crinkles we make every Christmas…we roll the lumps of dough in sugar before baking which creates a sparkly CRUNCH once they cool! YUM!
Each Thanksgiving I am asked to bring desserts and usually make something huge, fattening, and labor intensive. After just running my first marathon and being a tad more conscious of what I eat (how will i burn off that cheesecake?), I plan to make small desserts this year. Pumpkin puddings and gingersnaps sound perfect! Now to find a ton of small ramikins… How will the pumpkin puddings travel for about two hours?
Hi, as a ginger snap lover, I was enjoying this post until I got to the photos accompanying this recipe, which show you measuring a liquid–molasses-in a dry measure. I’ve been baking a LONG time and it’s anathema to me to use other than a liquid measuring cup for liquids.
Maybe for this recipe it doesn’t make a difference (do you know?)–but in general, using liquid and dry measures does matter. Please consider whether you are doing your readers (particularly those who may not be very experienced) a disservice by the suggestion that the two are interchangeable. If in fact that is how you measure your liquids, then I hope that in your recipes going forward and in your cookbook you specify that. Otherwise, people might not get the results intended.
YUM! Perhaps these will be a bit of dessert after rouladen, noodles, pickled red cabbage, and green beans for our special dinner this week. Fresh coffee or tea and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream with gingersnaps on the side. Thanks!
Thanks so much for coming back — we missed you. And something tells me these gingersnaps would make a great crust to a pumpkin cheesecake that I’m making for Thursday.
Those look like poetry, and I just about drooled on the keyboard when I saw the molasses being poured. Thank you for showing these off, because I miss ginger snaps, but never had the recipe.
These are what my family (and Fanny Farmer) have always called “Molasses Crinkles”..pretty much identical but always rolled in coarse sugar…Demerara works beautifully and gives them an extra little crunch. A fabulous cookie no matter what you do to them. Everyone should have at least one recipe for these,..thanks for spreading the word.
Yay, thanks for posting the recipe! My in-laws are coming for Thanksgiving and my mother-in-law does not like pumpkin for some reason. So now I can make these for her. Well, me too. And everyone else. Hmm, I don’t sound so noble now, do I?
Welcome back to the real world! Can’t wait to see The Book. Enjoy the rest of your fall.
Ok, was not going to bake again today, but now I think I must…
My go to ginger recipe is a chewy cookie that I roll in sugar as above mentioned. It creates a kind of crackle and crunchy coat. For snaps it may not be necessary though the candied ginger could add a complementary texture….
Do you ever use the little “ice cream” scoops for the dough? I am so bad at making them uniform in size…
Can’t decide if I should throw out my to-do list today and stay home and make these cookies or force myself into the throngs at Costco and Safeway! Love the pic of Jacob, he is one adorable boy!! And so big! xo, Nan
These cookies looks so good! I don’t think I’ve ever made gingersnaps, but now I really want to make them. Have a good weekend! :)
Where did you get your adorable spice jars?
Hi Deb!
Quick question – what jars are you using for your spice? I’ve been wanting to organize my spice box for a while now and am researching the different options for containers. Would love to hear what type you’re using and how you like them!
Spice jars — I talk about them a bit over here.
Cookie scoop — I didn’t try it with these because the dough was so sticky I thought it would drive me crazy. One thing you can do to help get even balls of dough without a scoop is to cut the flat of dough into a grid, with about 1-inch squares (my inner math geek is dying right now to compare the volume of a 1-inch cube and a 1-inch sphere and tell you how much less than 1-inch apart you should make your gridlines but I’m resisting, for now…) and it will result in fairly even cookies.
Shweta — Honey works as a substitute for molasses in many cakes, so in theory it should work here too. But I didn’t test it out.
Gingy — I talk about differences between Martha’s gingerbread and gingersnaps in Comment #59. I was speaking of a specific gingerbread recipe, but the differences are about the same.
Robyn — Any thoughts on how it compares to Grandma’s? That’s what I usually have around.
Caroline — 1/3 cup liquid volume and 1/3 cup dry volume are the same (cup is a volume measure). But I know why you’re asking, and that’s because in general liquid measuring cups are best for wet ingredients and dry are best for dry ingredients. The reason is that if you were to measure dry ingredients in a liquid measuring cup, well, you’d have a really hard time since the markings are up and down the side and trying to get a neat, level measurement for, say, 1/3 cup flour would be far more difficult than it should be. In a 1/3 dry cup, it would be a cinch (scoop/spoon and sweep). Measuring liquid ingredients in dry cups is risky because to get a full, clean measurement for, say, 1/3 cup water, you’d need to fill the cup all the way to the top evenly, which would then make it nearly impossible to move the cup from the counter to your bowl without splashing, i.e. you wouldn’t be getting a very good measurement. Most cooks would be more likely to leave it a little shy of the top so it wouldn’t overflow.
That said, the reason why I didn’t quibble over a wet versus dry 1/3 cup for this was that molasses are so freakin’ thick that you can get a good measurement in a dry cup; you can even sweep the top clean and have no trouble transferring it to a mixing bowl. It’s closer to mayo or a sloshy nut butter in texture than a liquid.
As for your other comment, that based on my use of a dry cup for a liquid measure that the recipes on this site or in the book next year might not be accurate or that readers will be misled by recipes — my hope that accuracy of the recipes on this site (which are only tested by me in my imperfect kitchen) speak for themselves, and for the book, kept awake worrying because I cannot backedit what goes into print should a mistake emerge, I’ve added the extra layer of precaution of hiring recipe testers who review all of the book’s measurements in cups, ounces and metrics (plus there are copyeditors, proofreaders, and the works). I cannot promise that there will never be a typo or error, only that anything that could have possibly be done to prevent it had been. I’d say, that’s a pretty good gamble.
Weights/metrics — Now included in the recipe.
P.S. This comment section has references to Bill Cosby performance I still can’t watch without gasping for air and Green Eggs and Ham. It is the best!
Mmm….I have been craving ginger snaps all week! I’ve never experimented with making my own, but I believe you have just given me the inspiration to do so this weekend!! Thanks :)
I’ll be making these this weekend! The recipe is close to my Grandma’s molasses crinkles, although those use less ginger and you roll them in sugar and pat the tops with a drop of water before baking. Also – I was inspired by your spice jars ages ago and put those same ones on my wish list. Someone actually bought them for me and they’re perfect!
Deb~Thank you for giving me a reason to use my jar of molasses that’s been in my cupboard. I just took the last batch out of the oven and baked them for twelve minutes. They are a bit chewy just like I like them. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hmmm… might just not be my day for baking, but generally I tend to be pretty successful. My first batch turned out more cake-y than flat/chewy/snappy. Second batch is burned (but still cake-y), third batch is in the oven and looking to be cake-y again. Maybe I should lower the temperature? Anyone have suggestions? Too much flour? Not enough butter? My understanding is that cake-y cookies can come from too much moisture content, but all there is is the molasses and the dough seemed pretty stiff so I’m at a loss. Great flavour though – warming and slightly spicy.
The cookies looks amazing, yummy!
Hey Deb,
I just made these this morning and they turned out amazing. I added the crystallized ginger for that extra little kick.
The Internet is international but your recipe is not. Please give metric measurements for all the countries in the world outside the USA
This is a great recipe and those cookies just made my stomach grumble. I was scouring the net for a new recipe to try with my daughter tonight and i think your recipe might be the one we’ll try.
Looks great. I can’t wait to try these!
I’ve been searching for a gingersnap recipe, and this looks like the one! I’m curious about the reason for white pepper? What does it add to the taste?
I hate ginger… but i might try this…. because i love sticky n chewy… stuck on teeth cookies
Mazel tov, Deb! As Paul Valery once said, “A poem is never finished, only abandoned.” Welcome back to your life!
Hi,
First, congrats on finishing the book. It is future Christmas list. Quick question: can you just refrigerate the dough in the mixing bowl without wraping in plastic wrap? I feel like I am missing something.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving
Hi Deb,
I think a real yasher koach on the accomplishment is deserved. I do have a question, unrelated to the gingersnaps. We keep kosher, and I am looking for a great non-dairy dessert for Thanksgiving. Any ideas?
Hi Jeff — I haven’t made pumpkin pie with coconut milk before (instead of milk, cream or evaporated milk) but I have a hunch it would be delicious. I bet a crumb crust could be made with melted margarine.
SerenaL — You can, but I think you’ll find it easier if you scrape it onto the wrap and flatten the packet a little. You can then just cut little squares off (I mention using a grid cut a few comments ago) and roll them in your hands. The dough is very sticky and not that firm; it wouldn’t be much fun to scoop from a bowl.
Jay — A kick! And a little heat.
Just finished baking them and tasting them and they are awesome. Excellent recipe!*****
I know everything is better with butter, but I need to make these cookies non-dairy. Do you think you could use coconut oil instead of butter? Happy Turkey!
These gingersnaps look delicious, very homey and comforting. Great photos!
Ive made gingies and use the OLD Betty Crocker cookbook (the one produced BEFORE cake mixes was invented!) Love the earthyness. Thanks for the reminder. Think Ill drag out that cookbook and make some. Hmmmmmmmmm.
According to the website of the molasses you used:
Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Certified Organic Molasses is a blackstrap molasses with a rich, full-bodied robust flavor that adds natural color and opulent caramel molasses tones to recipes. . . . Wholesome’s Organic Molasses is actually the end product, or by-product, of the production of our Organic Sugar. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals and trace elements naturally present in the sugar cane plant and is a good source of iron, vitamin B6, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
The company is based in Sugar Land, Texas! Blackstrap molasses is made from the third boiling of the sugar syrup and is therefore the concentrated byproduct left over after the sugar’s sucrose has been crystallized and is slighly bitter and darker than other types of molasses.
Hello! I just ADORE your spice containers! I’d love to know where you found them! Did they come with the spice name labeled on, or did you add the labels?
We always had gingersnaps in the cupboard as a kid. They always make me feel a bit nostalgic. I’ll have to give them ago.
Do you have to extend baking time when dealing with the frozen dough? If so, how much longer? Thanks!
Angela — Usually just a minute or two. It’s not an exact science.
I’ve never made gingersnaps before…until tonight, thanks to you. A friend who I affectionately refer to as my test kitchen dummy, and not a fan of sweets, mentioned the other day that the only cookies he likes are gingersnaps then lo and behold…I just put these in the freezer along with your Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties and World Peace Cookies for T-Day! Can’t wait. Big Congrats on the book. That’s another treat I can’t wait for.
Mazel Tov and WAY TO GO re the book… it is truly awesome and napping, staring at your spice jars and contemplating life is not only called for but expected. Am a late bloomer to this world and knew I needed to join it as I appear to be as nutty as this food-bloggin world. So I just gave birth to a baby blog on 11/11/11 and am totally excited -thank you for being who you are. You have probably been an unwitting midwife for tons of food bloggy babies out there.
Your recipes are very cool and delicious and I must tell you that I found myself nodding vigorously in agreement to your EXTREMELY COGENT reply weighing in re your reader’s concern over molasses measured in a dry and not liquid measure. WOW – I have had this discussion so many times -You, Deb, are like an excellent Food Attorney
Hi Deb,
Thank you so much for the recipe. I just saw the title of your post and I thought about how much I look forward to baking stuff like this, just to chase the dreariness of cold weather days away. Thank you also for mentioning again where you found the spice bottles. They are fantastic.
If there ever was a season for gingersnaps, this would be it. I simply must make this recipe, it’s on my list for the weekend!
Thanks, that’s a good idea. I may just give that a try.
Did you ever play around with the Klutz cookie recipes? Their snap is made with oil, which I find convenient because butter is something I’m always running out of. It’s also very handy for getting the molasses out of the measuring cup (use the cup to measure the oil first). But I am excited to try these with butter. Thank you! And I’ll add my voice to the rapturous crowds glad to have you back and congratulating on the book… A huge accomplishment!
I have ginger snaps on my holiday baking list, but I’m not sure why I’m putting them off until Christmas. They’d be lovely additions to the Thanksgiving festivities this week!
I made these yesterday and they are really good. I happened to have that very same molassas on hand and used it for the very first time. Wow..it is really thick compared to the one (Brer Rabbit) that Iusually use and it’s so dark! The flavor is wonderful and doesn’t seem as bitter as the other. My snaps came out thicker and with a more pronounced crackled surface than the ones shown, I baked them for 12 minutes and the edges were crisp and the center was just barely on the chewy side, which I liked. They firmed up even more when cooled. I just had one with my coffee this morning and they are a little chewier today. I think they absorbed some moisture overnight (it’s been raining here and everything feels damp) so if you like them crisp, make sure you keep them in an airtight container.
I have people over for Thanksgiving and I still haven’t decided on all of the desserts yet, except for eggnog pie. Yum!
The metric measurements are great but why such precision?
281 grams could be written 280 grams
96 grams could be written 100 grams
79 ml could be written 80 ml
Surely no one has a scale that accurate or a recipe that needs ingredients measured to the 100ths.
Rounding off rather than just converting will make for easier recipes.
Thanks for the ginger snaps!
Hi Deb, can I ask where you found your flour container? I have the biggest OXO pop-top container that they make, and it conveniently fits a typical bag of flour from the grocery store. That said, it’s not enough. Husband wants to by the huge costco bags of flour because, but we’re in the country and have mice and other wonderful creatures that also like flour besides me. Thanks!
Wait a minute. Does this mean you might not do your book afterall? Am I the only one that is getting this out of your post? Please no!! I’ve been so looking forward to it!
Jill — Oh goodness, no. It just means I have about 5 weeks where the book goes off to a copyeditor to, like, not think about it. I may have gotten my book in terribly late, but I couldn’t have accidentally scheduled it better — what with the 5 weeks off being between Thanksgiving and New Years!
Kimberly — I bought these a little while back. They’re not perfect; the clamps are very, very tight and one or two always seem to fall off the latch (not that it takes more than a second to fix it) and they almost perfectly hold a 5-pound bag of flour. I have to shimmy the canister, just a little, to pack down the flour to get it all in. If you have, say, a quarter bag left in the jar and want to refill it with a full 5-pound bag, you’ll have too much.
How did you know I was just thinking about gingersnaps? It’s getting cold and I am missing my Swedish friend who always has a glog party in December and serves gingersnaps with blue cheese. She makes the impossibly thin ones. You really MUST try it. They are so perfect together. She also makes Jansson’s Temptation and saffranbullar.
Mmm, these look amazing – I like that you decided to stick to the obviously popular recipe, I would have tried to change it and probably messed it up! Your photos are always incredible too. Please finish your book though, hehe.
Look at your awesome Thanksgiving ideas button over there! Thank you, thank you.
Can’t wait to try these gingersnaps.
These DO sound like my grandmother’s gingersnaps, and I mean that in the best way possible! I love that thick, funky molasses. These look amazing :)
My resident cook doesn’t keep ground spices around (preferring to grind them as needed). How much fresh ginger do you think would replace the ground ginger in the recipe? I will probably add this amount to the amount of fresh ginger you recommend for the extra kick. I’m really excited!
I made these last year http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/10/chez-panisse-gi/ and they were amazing. Another recipe for you to compare =) I shall try yours this year.
I love gingersnaps. I know they are not a favorite for everyone, but espeically at the holidays I am thrilled to have them. This particular recipe sounds yummy. And your photos are gorgeous.
Just pulled these out of the oven and they are super tasty. However, they are not nearly as dark as yours. I did everything exactly as listed with the addition of candied ginger and 1/4 tsp of cloves (I love cloves!) and my standard altitude changes because I live in Denver. I used unsulphered molasses that is NOT blackstrap and it looks to be about the same as yours in consistency and color.
They’re delicious and a great consistency, just not gorgeously dark like yours. Any idea why?
I used ww pastry flour and honey instead of molasses. Adding insult to injury, I didn’t refrigerate the first batch and just carefully rolled the dough in raw sugar and popped in the oven. Despite these many changes, the cookies were chewy and delicious. Honey made them a beautiful golden color.
Made this cold, rainy afternoon and they are fantastic! I skipped the pepper because I don’t have any but other than that, followed the recipe. Outstanding cookies, not TOO much, just the right amount of spice. Well done!
Looks good. I definitely opt for chewy and soft over “snappy”. Not really a fan of crunchy cookies.
1/3 cup, or 79ml of Molasses … how many grams is that?
The recipe sounds delightful, and I plan to give it a try, but I’m a Thermie junkie, and measure everything by weight!
The dark color and sheen of these cookies make them look irresistible. Can’t wait to try them.
Just made them to go on top of a Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream with Ginger Snap crust … I made your great recipe, rolled the balls in turbinado sugar- they came out of the oven just perfect with the razzle dazzle sparkle of the sugar! Can’t wait to serve them on Thursday…..but, I don’t believe they’ll make it til then. We’ll just have to make another batch!!
Cathy, Waxhaw, NC
Gingersnaps made this way with a strong molasses flavor are my favorite. This sounds like an excellent recipe.
~Brenda
154 comments and not one rhapsodising about the pic of your son… If I may I so rhapsodise – could he be any cuter?? Seriously – that is one beautiful child you have. Have you had many marriage proposal for him? I have a 17 month old in case you’re ever on the look-out for a wife for him. She’s a bit feisty, but he looks like he could hold his own…
I LOVED these! I made them as directed, rolled in granulated sugar, and baked for 11 minutes. I like my cookies on the chewy side, and these were decidedly chewy. Perfect twang of ginger.
BTW, I always use dry measuring cups to measure molasses b/c it is so freaking thick, and it worked out perfectly.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much for adding the weights! It makes following your recipes so much easier for this European girl. :) But there’s still the molasses problem, any suggestions what to use instead? Did anyone dare to bake them without molasses?
Julia — In the UK, golden syrup is generally used instead of molasses in gingersnaps. (UK folk, please correct me if I’m wrong.) So, if you’re somewhere where you can get golden syrup, 1) I am jealous and 2) use it. Honey often works in cakes as a substitute; haven’t tried it here but I suspect it wouldn’t be bad.
Why have I only just discovered you? Amazing. Wonderful recipes. You could teach the French a thing or two about cooking. Absolutely.
I too homed in on those spice jars–they’re adorable. I want some! I have too many mini-baggies of odd spices lying around. I can never find them when I want them.
And now, all I can think about is the many different flavor combinations you can come to with these cookies in an ice cream sammich. I’m kinda stuck on lemon sorbet with these gingersnaps, though.
Made these yesterday with 4 yr old grandson who loves to cook, but can be a bit of a distraction. Got it all together, made the balls and put in oven. Checked it and there were puddles in there!! No wonder the dough was so sticky… it would be without flour! Scraped the two pans of liquid back into the mixer bowl (easy with all the melted butter…), tossed in the missing flour, beat the bejesus out of it on high. 4 yr old patience with the wait was running thin so I greased up a cookie scoop and had warm cookies on the table with nice cold glasses of dunking milk in 20 minutes.
They are obviously very forgiving cookies – and they tasted great! Making more (without the helper) for Thanksgiving!
Deb, these were fantastic – we made them to go with the crisp, and both cookies and crisp turned out just amazing.
On a side note, the snarkiness of some people in their comments never ceases to amaze me “the internet is international but your recipe is not”. That’s like me finding a recipe I want to make on a French site and demanding the author translate it into English, instead of using google translator. hint: look for a metric converter on the internet.
Or the person with the comment about the precision of the weights, which I am almost certain you have addressed before.
It’s not enough that Deb tests and shares all of these wonderful recipes, for free, and provides both measures, and weights as well as wonderful photography. People always have to complain about something.
Sorry, rant for the day. Deb, I think the site is great, and it just annoys me when people get so nitpicky.
Great way to take a break, and to make me hungry :) These may be my favorite style of cookie ever.
Love the addition of ground white pepper. These look fabulous!
Man, I’ve been snacking on store bought ginger snaps for a week now. This recipe might get me into trouble.
Thanks for sharing the recipe:)
-Eliza
Look delicious & I bet they smell fantastic too :)
one step closer to my dream of homemade gingersnap icebox cake. in fact, maybe that’s just the ticket for new year’s. with lemon whipped cream even? yayyy!
Deb…I think the U.K. has treacle instead of molassas. I believe it’s a bit stronger than molassas so I’d maybe mix it half and half with golden syrup or honey if you aren’t familar with molassas.
I meant to say Dark Treacle…
Gingersnaps and green tea all day long! I do add candied ginger bits. I sent off a manuscript this morning, it really does feel good!
These were exactly as described…buttery, cakey, subtle gingery taste. Very good though a bit too buttery for me and I would consider reducing it the next time around…wonder what a difference that would make?
Hi Deb, I’m a long time follower, but first time poster here! Just wanted to say I love your blog and am so pleased you added weight measurements to the ingredients. I just can not operate cups! Will your book be available in Ireland / UK?
These are almost, ounce for ounce my grandmother’s recipe so I know they’re wonderful. In my freezer are hidden a dozen golden balls from our last batch, just waiting for a cold snap in the weather. A couple things about prepping the dough.
You can melt the butter in a saucepan large enought to hold all the ingredients. Remove from heat and mix in the molasses. Cool 5-10 minutes and add the beaten eggs all at once mixing thoroughly. Then add in the dry ingredients stir stir stir until all incorporated. Put some wax paper on top and pop in the fridge until cold. I usually make the dough the night (or morning) before I intend to bake. Scoop out one rounded teaspoon of dough and start rolling. Like Henry Ford and the assemply line I make all the balls and lay them out on a wax paper covered tray and keep them in the fridge until ready to bake. Roll in regular sugar, put on parchement covered pans and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. My grandmother’s pièce de résistance was to press ONE chocolate chip in the center of each cookie as the pans emerged from the oven. Over the years I have made literally thousands of these and no cookie gets more praise than this simple gem.
Sorry for the long comment but I got all nostalgic! Happy Thanksgiving! And mazel tov on “finishing” the book. Can’t wait!
Deb, so glad you are back!! we’ve missed you :)
Looking forward to your book!! congrats!! and thanks so much for adding weights on the recipe.
Hi Deb!
Just tried this recipe, and they were cakey and soft, as a few other people mentioned. Tried to adjust cookie size and baking time, but no use. Any hints/suggestions?
Thanks!
If your cookies are coming out cakey or soft, it sounds like they need to bake longer to get a snap. Mine were firm with a snap, just slightly chewy in the center.
Unrelated, a brief story about how brainless I can be: I have been giving out these cookies all week, to people who haven’t even asked. I brought a box to a friend’s birthday, another to another friend, sent a bag home with the in-laws and brought the remaining cookies to my parents yesterday. So, now I’m out of delicious, dreamy gingersnaps and have to go to the store to buy some because I forgot I was making a cheesecake with a gingersnap crust this week. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does things this ridiculous? It would make me feel better.
These look fabulous – unfortunately i am from Sweden and can’t live without my traditional ginger snaps or what we call pepparkakor… i do make them every year and one of the key ingredients is cardamom which makes a big difference in taste at least i think so.
I love gingerbread, it always gives the taste of winter and Christmas time. Looking forward to reading your book.
I make a very similar ginger snap except the balls are rolled in sugar before baking for extra sparkly magic!!
Is there a more season-specific cookie than gingersnaps? I just cannot think about them at any other time of year than Autumn, and I always want them with a cold glass of cider consumed at the same time. Delightful!
Just got a kitchen aid standmixer. This will be the inaugural recipe! Thanks so much!
This makes me miss home! One of my baking-goddess friends in Montreal was famous for her ginger cookies. She made a chewy version with orange zest, so I get that it’s a totally different cookie…but still! Gingersnaps are such a fabulous classic, and you photograph them to really shine. Thanks for your inspiration!
Made these yesterday with my 4 year old. Had to substitute sorghum for molasses since we were out of the latter. They were great! We took them to a dinner last night and they were such a hit! YUM!
Thank you Deb! Especially appreciative since it seems our mouse has fancied himself a ninja now…sigh.
These were delicious! I made them today, let them sit in the fridge while we went to do our baby registry, and the hubby put them in the oven when we got home. Absolutely delicious! He keeps saying how good they are!
I have decided it is a mistake for me to look at your blog at night, in bed, when I have no chance of having the food handed to me on a platter right away. I am sure I am not alone in this feeling.
Congrats on finishing your manuscript and letting it stay finished (at least for the time being :D). You sound like you had a wonderful day! I could really use one of those schedule-free days right now.
These cookies look gorgeous!
wow!!!! look so delicious…. i want to learn more on cooking!! thanks for being an inspiration.
My 23 old daughter loves your site. She can’t wait for your book. I love that you have inspired her in such a way. She has made your white cake or wedding cake which everyone loved. You are her go to for recipes and ideas. YAY for you and your precious familia. Also, I loved that you had a little tibble with your cafe. Yup! tomate una copita…..when necessary! God Bless.
Nothing says “hello winter” better than a gingersnap!
My grandmother made me ginger snaps as a child, Ive been through all her books to try and find the recipe but with no luck. I cant wait to try these out they look amazing!
delicious, I love the darkness and the thinness, can almost hear them go SNAP!
Hi! I just had a question, I made a trial batch to try on the boyfriend, before doubling it to take home to thanksgiving with both sets of parents. WE LOVED THEM. the only issue we had was they lost their snap right after a day. I already prepped my dough and have it in the fridge, but we arn’t going home until tomorrow, I wanted to cook them tonight and store them. But i still want them to be snappy for thanksgiving. I know you said they will keep but they just went soft so soon. Should I freeze them? or put them in a tin with lid? what would you suggest?
WELCOME BACK! I know I’m a little late to the party here, but I love ginger everything! These look great. My dad’s b-day is today and I think I’ll make him a batch since he love ginger, spice and molasses too! Thanks so much!
I’m sooo thankful that you wright in gram as well!! :)
I love when recipes are the same no matter where you look – you just know they have to be right. I’m very surprised they have pepper in them. Would never have thought about putting pepper in a cookie. Guess I’ll have to try them! (and man, do they sound good as ice cream sandwiches – although my new favorite ice cream sandwiches have giant macarons as the cookies – trust me, delicious!)
I bet that’s a glorious weight lifted off your shoulders! These cookies look delicious!
Still enjoying the few that remain.
Thanks for the great reminder to make your own. I need some for gingersnap ice cream for Thanksgiving and didn’t want to buy them at the store. Yum!
my husband loves ginger snaps-i’ve tried a few different methods (the last one included a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, which was kinda weird, but not inedible) and i’m currently making these right now-with freqent reference to your webpage :)
thanks for the inspiration-i’m a freqent lurker, but i until today, not a commenter.
i’m looking forward to the results!
I made these tonight and they are DELICIOUS! My new favorite cookie, for sure. Thank you!
These would be a great crust for a cheesecake and no you are not the only one that does that kind of thing. I think it is called multitasking and I know that I should not do it! I will invariably forget something.
Thanks for the explanation of dry vs wet! I’m serious.
Like someone else who commented, I made them and they aren’t nearly as dark and my dough was nice and firm. Could the difference be with the molasses? I used “Grandma’s” with the yellow and red label from the grocery store. Could yours
make your dough thinner and darker?
Re: darkness of gingersnaps — I used a brand called Wholesome Sweeteners which might have been a little darker than the norm. I hadn’t realized it at the time, believe it or not, it’s the only brand they sold at the bodega (corner store) near me! Fancy place, I guess. Anyway, I’m leaning towards the molasses being the culprit because I made more or less the same recipe 5 years ago and they were a bit lighter. That said, this current kitchen is very dark (and these were made on a delightfully gloomy day where the sun appeared to begin setting at 1:45 p.m.) and the old kitchen was very, very well lit (a skylight above) so that, too, is a factor.
Help! When you say “2 sticks (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter” did you mean 8 ounces TOTAL (two 4-ounce sticks) or two 8-ounce sticks?
2 sticks is the same as 8 ounces or 227. All the measurements are equal.
Amazing gingersnaps! I used 3/4 of the amount of butter and 1/4 cup of coconut oil and they came out fantastic. It didn’t really effect the taste but you could smell the coconut when they come out of the oven. My sister ate about a dozen! I used them to make a crust for a pumpkin pecan pie from the Women’s Health website. They totally brought the pie together. Will be making another batch of these cookies for Christmas!!
Hi Deb!
Happy thanksgiving (apologies for the late wishes). I made these with the same molasses you’re using yesterday and the result came out similar to yours. The only difference was my cookies spread out thinner and I had to go with slightly smaller than 1-inch balls, yielding about 6 dozen. Baked for exactly 15 minutes, came out crisp and snappy, so delicious I ate one from each batch just ‘to test’. Packed all into my trusty air-tight container and tested one this morning, was please to find it hasn’t softened at all.
The molasses definitely made a difference. I used Rabbit to make your spice gingerbread cookies last year and they came out golden brown instead of dark like yours. Personally I find a darker ginger cookie more warm and inviting. Thank you so much for the recipe Deb!
Deb, you are not the only one who does things like giving away all your gingersnaps and then having to buy some. I, for instance just set out to make these cookies, which I have planned for three days and during that time have been to the market at least three times and have all ingredients… except ginger!!!!!!!!!!
Love gingersnaps! I attempted to make some a couple of years ago and they did not turn out well so I’m super excited to try your recipe! How long should I bake them for if I want them to be chewy? Thanks!
Just made these a few hours ago. Beautifully perfect! I had to smack my husband’s hand away from its sixth trip to the cookie jar! I added some fresh ginger and also left them in for 15 minutes because that crisp *snap* of a homemade cookie makes me weak in the knees.
Thanks for your recipe!
Love gingersnaps! On Thanksgiving, I made gingerbread for a guest who has a nut allergy… I usually think of it as a Christmas dessert, but it was actually really lovely for Thanksgiving.
Love gingersnaps and all things molasses. Thanks for the post. I have a great lemon gingersnap recipe I’ll post soon under my heirloom recipes. Can’t wait for your cookbook. Nana Clares Kitchen
A friend has been looking for a good gingersnap cookie recipe ! She has always has trouble (as do I) making sure the cookies are still chewy and not overcooked and hard. This looks just gorgeous – we’ll definitely be trying it ! :)
I have had problems with gingersnaps in the past, but this recipe was super easy. I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a hit! (Everyone I know loves the soft gingersnap cookies that you can’t get at the store.) I enjoy following Smitten Kitchen. Thanks so much!!
Wow, these look great! I actually just started my own blog and am constaly bookmarking recipes from your site. Dont worry, you’re alreadybon my blog roll and I will give credit where it is due ;)
I already have a pumpkin cheesecake recipe in mind for Christmas and I think these gingersnaps would make the perfect crust! Thanks for the recipe.
I just made these this weekend, they are so good. My grandma used to make gingersnaps all the time, but we lost the recipe. This is as close as I’ve tasted to hers. I cooked them so they were more “snappy.” They will be in heavy rotation in my house!
Ginger totally works for my seasickness. I wonder if I can get enough ginger from a cookie to cover my motion sickness! :)
These look great! I love gingersnaps.
These cookies are AMAZING. I didn’t have regular molasses, so I used pomegranate molasses instead and it was wonderful. I served them with your pumpkin pudding recipe which was perfect.
Can’t wait to try this recipe – have tried the Martha Stewart and I’m still looking for a favorite.
Does anybody know why you’re not supposed to use Blackstrap Molasses in some recipes? My husband bought it and I never got around to returning it so now I don’t want it to go to waste.
Thanks!
I just love eating these cookies while reading the comments! I didn’t go for the super-snappy texture…I was pleasantly surprised by how they melt in your mouth even when they’re softer (and I normally despise soft cookies!). I will definitely make these again and again. I may add the optional ginger goodness next time! Also, my very picky husband really likes these.
makin’ those not quite crispy ginga snaps for a holiday soiree in NM for a a cool shop i work at…will let ya know how the ole “cookie crumbles”…thanks big!
I made these this past weekend and can honestly say they are the best gingersnaps I’ve ever had. My wife said, no store-bought ever again!
Those are some really nice looking gingersnaps!
Brilliant idea to make this Gingersnap. I love it. I think it best suits for Christmas dinner food
Thanks for these! I just made a batch, then sandwiched them with lemon buttercream… oh, my!
Your blog is amazing, especially the photos! I just finally got a kitchen scale and needed a recipe for gingersnaps that I could use with it- thanks for having one! Now I’m going to try it out….
And about Blackstrap Molasses, I’ve used it in gingerbread which comes out so bitter it is pretty inedible. Good for gingerbread houses though (which really no one ends up eating).
I just finished making these and they are so delicious. Thanks for the blog.
I was reluctant at first because I have a “heart healthy” gingersnap recipe I’ve been using for years but a friend and I follow your blog and seriously a new recipe here brings us much joy in our sad grad student lives. We agreed to make your apple pie cookies for a department event but also had papers due and didn’t have time so opted for these instead. I just made more for my Christmas cookie boxes. They are AMAZING! And my new favorite gingersnap cookie recipe!
I rolled mine in turbinado sugar, just because that’s how my grandma always made them and it gives them just enough sparkle. Thank you for this amazing recipe! The cookies disappeared from the department function crazy fast and I’m having to guard the ones I just made from my boyfriend. Great with a cup of tea or coffee or just as a pick me up snack any time of the day!
Hi! Your blog is the best! My question is this (and i don’t know if it’s dumm!): if i halve this recipe or any recipe with many different spices should i halve the amount of the spices too? Whould the flavor be the same or weaker maybe? Thanks!
I made these cookies last night, they are fabulous! I used blackstrap molasses and black pepper and was a little concerned about using blackstrap molasses but that was all I had. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Hello! I am just doing some Christmas baking for work and we have a little guy (I work with preschoolers) that is allergic to eggs. I am going to make your pear, cranberry, gingersnap crumble. I am making my own gingersnaps though, because otherwise they won’t be egg-less. So, to make a short story long, I’m wondering if you know how these will turn out without eggs? When I searched ‘no egg gingersnaps’ I got a few recipes, but they just seemed so lame in comparison to yours. Thanks for any advice you have!! (I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site. I have already made a few of your recipes and they are always fantastic. The Nutmeg Maple Butter cookies are chilling in my fridge now!)
this is a flawless recipe. eating a snap warm from the oven right now. i used mixed ground peppercorns (all i had avail) and it worked.
Hey Deb, I made these with the extra ginger, and they are quite possibly the best cookies ever. I made them to give away, but we gave out a handful here and there as they were coming off the cooling racks, and we nibbled more, and soon they were all gone! Guess it’s back to the baking grind …. Thanks for the recipe!
Ok what am I doing wrong? Mine taste more like a sticky cake mess and they spread to paper thin. Disaster. Nothing like my Grandma’s beautiful gingersnaps.
I whipped these up to use for a pumpkin pie crumb crust and ended up having to make an extra batch just to eat because they were soooooo good! Made em gluten and egg-free with no problems, but I subbed stevia in for about 1/3 of the sugar for one batch and was very displeased. Would not recommend, though I am new to stevia so perhaps it was my fault. The dough really is super sticky prior to being chilled!
I love these. Rolling them in demerara sugar and slightly flattening them b/f baking, gives and extra sweet crunch to the outside.
I made these last night, delicious. The first tray I just left them as balls & popped them in the oven but they didn’t flatten like your pics. I needed to flatten them quite a bit to get like the pics.
Biggest problem is hubby likes them crunchy & I like them chewy.
I made these last year but I can’t remember what I did with them (who I shared them with?). I had a baby last July so I guess I have memory loss due to lack of sleep.
I baked these tonight, amazing!!!
Hi Deb I tried you chocolate wafers and loved them, now I am looking for a ginger version to make the icebox cake with…do you think this will work…m
Maria — I haven’t tried it with gingersnaps but think it could be really delicious. You might need to “soften” them longer, especially if store-bought. Those chocolate wafers are thin and very absorbent.
I just made these today, they are delicious!
@ Maria in NJ, I am pretty sure they sell “wafer-thin” ginger snaps, a la the chocolate wafers. Anna’s Swedish Thins, I think they’re called. I have definitely seen them at Ikea.
As for me, I can’t wait to bake the ones right here!
I am hoping these come out tasting like Clarkes bakery in London! They make the most incredible Ginger cookies I have ever tasted. I consider my self a expert on a good ginger cookie…lol Theirs is butter, crisp and spicy! This recipe looks like what theirs taste like. Did that make sense???? Trying today :-))
Making these again, by request, for bake sale at my daughter’s performance of The Nutcracker. Sold out in record time last year. Love these cookies!
I craved cookie dough, but I didn’t have any chocolate chips (or any chocolate at all) in the house so I searched the internet for alternatives… I don’t have molasses and I wouldn’t know where to get it in Germany, so here’s what I did instead and I think anyone who wants to avoid the insane amounts of sugar will like this, too: Instead of the different kinds of sugar and molasses, just use 200 grams of organic whole cane sugar (= 1 cup). It’s less refined sugar, which means it still contains lots of molasses (and minerals etc). It’s very dark, too, so the cookies will look the same. I used less sugar, so they are by far not as sugary, but still taste very good, if not better, because you won’t have the post sugar meltdown.
LOVE spicy cookies…so, I added about 1/4 tsp of cayenne – WOW! My husband ‘snapped’ them up.
So absolutely incredible! I made a bunch for my lil’ siblings school teachers, bus drivers and the mailman for Christmas. Thank you for this fantastic recipe.
They were the perfect balance of butter, sugar and ginger. :) I found I didn’t need to refrigerate mine for longer than 1 hour, and I rolled the balls in granulated sugar before baking them.
I just pulled my first batch out of the oven and realized two things: 1). The molasses in Switzerland is lighter than in the US. They’re ginger colored!! :( 2). I need two cookie sheets so I can bake more than a dozen at a time.
I have a Williams-Sonoma cookie sheet, and I suppose I could just get a second one on my next trip home. But, what is your favorite cookie sheet?? Thank you!! xo
I just made them and they are absolutely delicious!
I just made these because I had SO MUCH maple cream cheese frosting left over from your carrot cake recipe. They look perfect. When these cool they will be sandwich cookies – can’t wait!!
Absolutely love this recipe and blog! Keep the delicious foods coming! I think I’m going to make these for my next TW party!
Made these. It is a winner. Friends love them. JT
Speaking of pumpkin, a great use of gingersnaps is crumbling them to make a crust for pumpkin pie. You just have to add some butter/oil of some kind and bake for 15 minutes at 350, if I remember correctly. I’ll go fishing for the recipe later and publish it when I put up my post about pumpkin pie. It’s the only pie crust I’ll use.
Hi Deb,
I was just looking at this recipe and had a quick zip through the comments – just thought I’d say (with ref to your earlier comment) that in the UK, I think Black Treacle is more akin to Molasses than Golden Syrup is… I might try a mix of the two when I make these this afternoon as Treacle has a very distinctive, sweet/bitter flavour (it’s often used in ginger cake or traditional Christmas cake). Anyway – just thought I’d mention in case you need a UK-friendly version of molasses in the future.
K
Katherine — Thanks, good to know. I haven’t seen it here very much, but will look out for it.
Oh these are delicious! I made some with fresh ginger & they smell and taste so heavenly! Will definitely make again!
Call me lazy but I don’t see a good reason to transfer the dough from my kitchen aid bowl to plastic wrap. I just cover the bowl and put it in the frig to cool. Am I committing a ‘Cooks’ Sin’??? I am making these to give (but not all of them) to the nice guys at the tire shop that put on my studded tires for free each winter.
I made these and posted about them earlier this week — they were so wonderfully delicious! My oven is normally terrible about cookies and yours came out gorgeous and perfect with every batch I baked. I was amazed. Thanks SO much for this gem!
I’ve been struggling for decades to make a proper gingersnap at high altitude. Made these this morning and they were perfect. Cooked for 10 and a half minutes using my ovens convection mode. Spice profile and sweetness were just right. Thank you.
You probably don’t get too many comments on gingersnaps in May, but I made this and combined them with some rhubarb ice cream, and it was divine. It was the exact thing that the rhubarb needed to go from delicious to phenomenal. For anyone who’s interested in the recipe:
http://www.pnwkitchen.com/blog/2014/5/26/dairy-free-vanilla-ice-cream-with-rhubarb-swirl-and-gingersnap-crumbles
I agree that gingersnaps shouldn’t be limited to December. Glad you enjoyed.
Thanks so much for this recipe. Made these for a Christmas party and gilded them by dipping one side of each cookie in melted bittersweet chocolate. They were a huge hit. Thanks again.
Is there an opportunity to swap the ground ginger and white pepper out for fresh grated ginger? Has any one tried that?
Hi Chris — In the recipe, I mention that for even more of a ginger kick: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (with the wet ingredients) or 1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced candied ginger (with the dry ingredients). You could then omit the white pepper, I’d think, because it will have plenty of kick.
So, for the “kick” the 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger would be in place of the ground or in addition to the ground?
Thanks!
I just made these. They are delicious. They will be in heavy rotation around these here parts. When I make them again, I will be adding fresh, grated ginger.
Just made these; next time I need to be more careful to either make them a wee bit smaller or place them a bit farther apart. No probem that they ran together some. Used my convection oven, two cookie sheets at a time. Did 12 minutes and they are a lovely snap with slightly chewy center. Definitely a repeat recipe. Thanks again, Deb, for your hard work and humor.
I’ve never seen anyone else spread these out and cut them into 1″ squares as you show in your photo, but I do that too! The dough cuts very nicely after it has chilled, then I simply move the squares on to a Silplat covered cookie sheet with a spatula and skip the “roll into balls” step. No one seems to mind that the resulting cookies are square and it makes a double batch for a bake sale far less sticky and time consuming. As a bonus, I think the cookies are more tender because of the reduced handling.
Whenever I make baled goods I cross check between a few recipes by different folks. This recipe sounds good but after reading both ingredient lists on Sweetzels and Stauffers, (grocery cookies) neither one had egg. I think the dough is too loose and difficult to negotiate because of that. I’ll give it a try with a few revisions and see how it goes. Thanks.
I made these yesterday. Took some to my neighbours; one said they are “restaurant quality”…
I will be making them a lot from now on.
Mine didn’t resemble yours, but I did alter the recipe a little. Didn’t have the pepper so I left it out. I also didn’t have allspice; did have five spice, which is allspice plus cinnamon and nutmeg so used that. I threw in three extra shakes of the ground ginger bottle to make up for being too lazy to mince the candied ginger sitting on my dining room table.
Didn’t get four doz, but about three. Maybe because I haven’t done inches as a measurement since third grade…
Mine:
https://i.imgur.com/RednKkr.jpg
Followed your recipe but they don’t look anything like yours…
Lee — Did they flatten out a little after they cooled or was that a photo of them cooled? Do you live at a higher altitude, maybe?
I am baking these as we speak and we’ve eaten the first batch practically….these are by far the best gingersnaps I’ve ever had in my life…………sorry momma……
Deb — They were “cooling” on the rack when I took the photo. They did flatten a little. I’m in Australia and, no, not at high altitude. I set some of these aside for my daughter to take to the office the following day to share with her co-workers. She loved them so much, she only took some for herself and left the rest at home so she could eat them all. Naughty girl!
Planning to make a batch for our family Christmas dinner this year.
My local store only has one brand of molasses and I used that, but I might look around in other places to see what they have. Might help with the colour if I can get something darker.
Oh, should have added that our oven has a mind of its own and we have NEVER been able to get an accurate heat setting. We rent and are not allowed to replace it, so baking can be a bit hit or miss.
where are the little spice jars from
diana — I talk about them over here.
If I freeze the dough, do I need to defrost them or do I take them right from the freezer and bake them? These are my absolute favorite. I love the real ginger as well. Thanks!
Hi lovely, just wondering how long you would recommend the dough could keep in the fridge for? I’ve made the dough and it tastes amazing, can’t wait to try the finished product! x
Oh my gosh!! I just made these and I’m NEVER buying store bought gingersnaps again!!!! Heavenly!! I omitted the white pepper because I didn’t have it on hand and they are still delightfully zingy. I also refrigerated the whole bowl of dough because I only had the sticky press and seal plastic wrap. I left the bowl in there for two days (oops — trials of having a busy 14 month old!) but they rolled out easily and came out of the oven perfectly!!! Thank you!!!!
These look phenomenal!!! Can not wait to make them! Would you say they’re chewy or crunchy? If crunchy… Any ideas on how to make chewy?
For some reason I didn’t love these. I wanted them to be crisp on the outside and soft in the center, which they were on day 1, but by the second day they were completely soft (even too soft) all the way through. I compared this recipe to Barefoot Contessa’s Ultimate Ginger Cookies, and hers have 1/2 the amount of oil/butter for the same amount of flour. I wonder if the higher amount of fat in this recipe contributed to the very soft texture. I’ll have to try Barefoot’s recipe and compare. And mine spread out A LOT on the pans even after chilling the dough for a couple hours.
These biscuits are great. I love the salty tang along with the molasses taste with the spices. I baked mine following the slightly longer cooking time since I like biscuits to be on the harder side and they haven’t really gone all that soft (two days later; I’m eating one as I type this) so I’d attribute that to the slightly longer cooking time. They didn’t spread as much as your’s in the pics but my dough had been in the fridge for over 3 hours, allowing me to use an ice cream scoop to portion them out on the trays. I’ll make these again – I reckon they’d make good ice cream sandwiches. =D
Can I use honey pr agave instead of molasses?
I have multi-color pepper, but not exclusively white pepper. Should I use it, or just omit the pepper?
No, just use your regular pepper. It’ll be just fine.
My first batch slid right off the cookie sheet onto the bottom of the oven! Used a jelly roll pan for the rest. But they are very good!
This now may be my all time favorite cookie. Thank you for the recipe!
I have made these for the past several years with great results. I just pulled my cookie sheet out of the over; in less than 10 minutes, they completely ran together and oozed over the side. Didn’t change a thing from when I did them in the past. What could have happened? I tested the baking soda to make certain it still was good, and it foamed up nicely.
I’m a pretty experienced cook so this is a real puzzle for me. Anyone have an idea what could have happened?
Generally, that might happen from too much butter or too little flour. It probably wasn’t the baking soda. It could have been some other variable I’m not thinking of but the first two are my best guesses. Can you make a crumble with the mess?
Two sticks of butter, measured the flour correctly. Everything was too burnt to do anything with. I’m afraid to try again, even though I’ve probably made these a dozen times over the years. On the bright side, the oven got a good cleaning.
I just made these, and they’re delicious, but the first batch into the oven melted all over the place. Refrigerating the dough after it’s rolled into balls for at least an hour solved the problem. 13 minutes was just about perfect; crispy at the edge and chewy in the middle. Happy baking!
Delicious. Gingersnaps are one of a few cookies/sweets I really love and these didn’t disappoint. Cooked them for 13 minutes and they are just scrummy. Stayed perfectly chewy after 2 days in a Tupperware too. Butter was cold so to get it to room temperature I smashed it with a rolling pin and threw it right in the mixer with the sugar and had excellent results. Cookies baked perfectly.
For anyone wondering, it’s 107 grams of unsulphured molasses.
Whole Foods was out of their nummy ( and horribly expensive) ginger crisps.
I will be making these tomorrow thankseverso
If I want to make these no-dairy can I substitute shortening for the butter? If so,what and how much? Solid shortening, margarine, oil?
Love your posts. Keep up the good work!
These are a favorite of mine. And somehow, although they aren’t on my Thanksgiving to-do list (the granola biscotti from your new cookbook and your double-chocolate banana bread, however, are), I found myself making up a batch today. Some to freeze (maybe for Christmas giving?) and some to bake. Somehow they just make me happy. Thank you!
I discovered these ginger snaps last year and love them. I’d like to make them for a cookie exchange. Can the recipe be doubled?
Great recipe! I added the freshly grated ginger, and I only had dark brown sugar, so I used 1/4 cup of that and 3/4 cups of granulated sugar instead and it seemed to work fine. The cookies came out delicious! The balance of the spices was great – I froze some of the dough and can’t wait to bake it later this week!
I made these to go with your baken pumpkin pudding recipe. I can only bake 5-6 cookies in our teeny tiny 28 sq. ft. kitchen so I froze the rest. When we had no water service for 36 hours covering Thanksgiving, I popped a batch of these in the oven and we had something seasonal to eat. You saved Thanksgiving! Thank you.
I made these and they are WONDERFUL! Made the dough a few days ago and chilled for just 1-2 hrs before baking. Those cookies were softer and not crispy. After chilling for 4 days I baked the rest of them and sooo crispy on the outside and tender chewy inside. Love!
I have yet to make a recipe of yours I don’t enjoy. Thank you for sharing this one.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas Deb!
These are simply amazing. Added candied ginger and they are pretty darn good.
Oh my goodness, these are the best cookies I’ve ever made!!! I added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and a 1/2 tsp of cardamom, and they came out heavenly. When I took them out of the oven (14 minutes), I was worried because they seemed underbaked, but after letting them cool they were slightly crisp at the edges and chewy and soft in the center. Perfect!
I made this last winter, and I made them again today. Delicious! I love them.
Since before Christmas I have been on the quest for the Beyond Bread ( Tucson bakery) ginger cookies and thanks to you I think I’m there.
Half butter, half shortening ,dark brown sugar and both grated ginger and candied ginger.
Thankseverso
A
I’ve made these several times a year since you posted this. They are always so, so good! Thank you for sharing.
At 1045m of elevation versus the NYC elevation of 10m, these are still absolutely perfect. No sliding, picturesque round cookies. (Delicious with leftover maple cream cheese frosting.)
Also, I swapped 3/4 cup of flour for whole wheat. Perfect.
“3 teaspoons ground ginger” is a tablespoon.
I made a dairy-free version of these recently for my sister by subbing in coconut oil for butter. The initial batch didn’t spread much but the last 2 had some time to warm a bit and spread beautifully. If I make this version again, I’ll likely only chill the dough for an hour.
Very good recipe. Had a real yen for ginger cookies and needed to use up some unsulphured molasses. I never have light brown sugar so I went easy on that and the white sugar to compensate. I added fresh ginger and rolled them a bit bigger than 1″ I think and baked for 15-17 mins. A bit over but they are softening up in the tupperware. I found that that ones baked on my silicone mat were puffier than the ones on a sheet with parchment. I froze some for next weekend. Now to find a ginger cookie recipe which is similar to the ones in coffee shop.
Hi, Deb. Thanks for this. I <3 all your recipes. Would I be able to make this with whole wheat flour? TJ's ran out of all-purpose flour and I have a cookie swap coming up.
Just wondering if anyone else had an issue with the cookie seem like it was too buttery. They are a nice flavor but the butter issue is odd for a snap cookie. I measured out all the ingredients correctly so wondering if there is a mistake in the recipe. Also rolled them in crystal sugar and put a small piece of crystallized ginger on top. Thanks.
Has anyone tried making this recipe with coconut oil instead of butter? I’ve swapped out butter for coconut oil successfully in other cookie recipes such as chocolate chip or oatmeal but this will be my first time making gingersnaps, and I plan to share them with guests, so I’d like to make sure it works – and don’t have time to make a small test batch.
i was hoping for chewy thin cookies but mine turned out rounded and cake-y. i’m wondering if was that the butter was a little cooler than room temp? old baking soda? over mixing the dough? any feedback appreciated.
I candied ginger one day, and incorporated them into this recipe the next. These cookies are delicious, and have just the right amount of molasses. Perhaps my rolling is slow, but I recommend refrigerating the dough in two portions and just taking out one at a time so that it doesn’t get too warm/sticky. Thanks for all the great recipes and writing!
I have to tell anyone who is this far down in the comments section, that these make an AMAZING option for an ice cream sandwich cookie, especially because you can control the structural integrity based on cooking time. I paired them with the Jeni’s Pumpkin Five Spice ice cream and I have to say, I feel like I won fall.
I’m here! :) Did they soften in the freezer?
Yes! I let the ice cream soften just a bit and froze them for 2 additional hours or so before serving. I think the cookie was the star, and complements the five-spice ice cream very well providing good sweet/savory balance. I did add maldon flakes to the cookies because I lean to the savory, and I have already made a second batch for Halloween. For anyone reading and interested, I went with a precise 12.5 minute bake time! The cookies came out cakey looking, deflated quite a bit upon cooling, and I loved that they were perfectly uniform in size due to rolling them into balls. This is perfect for ice cream sammies and hard to achieve!
Deb,
What do you think of cooking these in two 8×8 Pans, and following the “brownie ice cream sandwiches” instructions?
Thanks!
T
Has anyone made these using the easier cookie suggestions? (https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/01/an-easier-way-to-make-cookies/)
I plan to use the food processor for sugar cookies I’m making but am now also wondering if these can just be beaten in the mixer…. and then rolled into logs for cutting?? (Easier and less messy for baking?)
I have! It works but make sure it’s blended well. These days, if using a food processor, I put the dry ingredients in first (including sugar), followed by butter, egg(s), liquid ingredients.
Best air max , you will finde ever !
These are amazing! Definitely add the extra fresh ginger. I also roll my balls in demera sugar before baking which gives them a lovely carmelized crunch around the edges and a festive glittery sparkle.
These are literally perfect. Just the right amount of spicy bite. I added the fresh grated ginger and I used cracked black pepper instead of white. I made a batch without refrigeration by rolling into balls (very sticky and messy) and freezing them on a jelly roll pan for 10 mins. It seems to be very important that they are fairly firm/cold upon entering the oven. Popped them into the oven for 11 minutes and they are tasty. They flatten and are a bit tougher than the ones that get to rest. The ones that get to hang out as dough for a while are easier to roll into all’s and come out fluffier and I prefer their final texture. I sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar about 5 mins after taking out of the oven.
We will make these again and again. So easy and rewarding.
I was hesitant to make these for a while because I read the comments about some of the dough oozing outside the pan. These are absolutely phenomenal. Refrigerated my dough overnight, and while it was initially a pain getting the cold dough into a cookie scoop, it softened up relatively quickly. Don’t skip the white pepper or grated ginger; they make the cookie!
Is it possible to use all fresh ginger instead of the ginger powder? I don’t like the flavor of dry ginger, it doesn’t even taste like ginger to me. How much and do I have to adjust the amount of flour to account for the increased moisture?
Question: are the Gingersnaps chewy or are they hard cookies? If hard, do you have a recipe for chewy gingersnaps? Or is there a suggested additive to make them chewy?
These are on the snappy side. I developed a softer, pillowy one but — sorry to be a tease — it’s in my next cookbook which won’t be out until Fall 2022. But they’re worth the wait. :)
When you mention using the grated ginger do you use the grated ginger and the ground ginger?
The recipe just calls for dry ginger; add it with the other dry spices. If you want to add the optional wet ginger, add it with the molasses and other wet ingredients.
Can i leave the cookie dough in the fridge and cook them the next day?
Yes but you might want to warm it up a little at room temperature so it doesn’t break your scoop. (Been there, done that.)
These didn’t turn out well for me, unfortunately. I did cut back the sugar and kept the same butter amount. I should probably use a bit more flour to compensate for a little bit of the lost weight. Mine was returned to a bit softer state when I rolled the ball. I would try to freeze them and bake the frozen ball the next time. The spice really comes through, very pungent with the additional fresh ginger. I reduced the sugar by 1/3, which is a lot, I will try a few smaller batches and see how it goes with the adjusted sugar level. Can’t wait for the new book.
Deb you have done it again! These are everything that a ginger snap should be- soft, bold flavor, and just to dieeee for. Cannot wait to share these with family and friends this weekend xo
Love your site so looked up this recipe to make instead of our usual gingerbread men. Just made the dough & naturally had to take a taste before putting in fridge to firm up. YUM! Finally, a gingersnap cookie where I can taste the spice! Thank you!
My son was in the mood for ginger snaps, so of course I came straight here. Deb did not disappoint once again! These were perfect. Our Breville toaster oven has an airfry feature, so I baked these for 10 min. Depending on your preference, you could bake less. We tried them both as is, as well as rolled in turbinado sugar. Both are great, but rolled in sugar gave it a little extra crunch. The dough is in the fridge and I’m baking them as needed. We sampled them both warm from the oven and cooled, and were divided on our preference. A winner!
Best gingersnap cookies ever!! I made bigger ones, about 3″ when cooked. Shaved dried nutmeg balls, instead of powder. Unbelievable recipe.
How long will these keep? I’d like to mail some to a friend, but I’m always afraid they’ll arrive stale. Even priority is 2-3 days.
These are great to ship because they keep well and shouldn’t get stale anytime soon — they’re a pretty crisp cookie.
These were magnificent. I no longer will need ginger cookies imported from Beyond Bread in Tucson.
Could this recipe be converted to be gluten free simply by replacing the all-purpose four with gluten free flour? Would this be true for ANY recipe?
Although I’d rather make and eat these as written, my husband can’t do gluten or dairy so I adapted for him and they were still fantastic m
For the flour I substituted 1 3/4c Bob’s Red Mill AP GF flour (plus the cookie amount of xanthan gum listed on the bag) and 1/2c buckwheat flour. For the butter I did a straight substitute for vegetable shortening. I wanted crisp cookies so shortening was perfect.
Hi Deb! Long time, first time! These are my favorite ginger cookies, and I’ve been making them for myself and others since you first published this recipe! Now I have a 4-year old who really wants to make gingerbread men. Do you think if I refrigerated and rolled, and maybe refrigerated again, these would hold up? Thank you!
I think these aren’t going to hold their shape well. I’d use this one instead.
I’ve made this twice this year already. It turns out the texture does not suffer if you dice an 8oz tub of candied ginger and add it to the dough. The white pepper is also key to emphasize that spicy ginger kick. Thank you for the recipe Deb!