The Best Gingersnap Cookies (recipe)

Gingersnap Cookies

A few years ago, my mother-in-law had been visiting for a few weeks from a very rainy, cold Alaska. She enjoyed each and every crisp morning and warm afternoon, the smells and sights of the slowly changing leaves. It made me stop and soak up these dry days and sunny skies even more, to slow down and appreciate the gift of fall.

I know the rain is coming. I know I am going to be Googling “dry destinations” in January. I know boots are about to become the footwear of choice. But good grief, we are spoiled in the Pacific NW. Fall is my happy place, and I am going to tuck this one away in my mind for a quick retreat when winter’s blahs move in.

Enter fall baking. Does anything make a home more cozy and warm (especially if your husband doesn’t believe in turning on the heat until late November) this time of year? Gingersnaps are the perfect cookie for fall, and this recipe is the best. Slightly chewy and perfectly spicy. Yum. I bake a big batch anytime we head over the mountain to pick apples. These go perfectly with apples or pears or just a cup of tea and a rainy afternoon.

The original recipe calls for shortening which will give you a softer, chewier cookie. Feel free to substitute butter for a crispier, more flavorful gingersnap.

I like to shape these in a smaller size, using a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to shape the dough balls.

Happy baking!

Gingersnap Cookies

Makes 3-5 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shortening or butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
2 t. each ground cloves, cinnamon, and ginger
1/2 cup sugar for rolling & baking

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the shortening or butter and sugar until well combined and slightly fluffy.
2. Add the molasses and eggs. Mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer and stir until just combined.
5. Scoop and roll into 1″ balls. Lightly roll the dough balls in a shallow bowl of sugar. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

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Looking for the perfect cookie scoop? Check out the OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop. It comes in small, medium and large and has some fantastic reviews. The smallest one holds two teaspoons of dough and yields a 2-inch cookie. Not only will the scoop yield cookies that are uniform for more even baking, but it keeps little fingers out of the bowl. Amazon currently has these cookie scoops in stock and ready to ship. Find more cookie scoops at Amazon here.

Looking for more delicious cookie recipes?

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