Recipe: Gingersnap Cookies

If I ever need to find a way to make Levi's eyes light up, I ask one, simple question.

"Want some gingersnap cookies?"

His eyes light up, a brilliant smile transforms his face, maybe a little drool runs down the side of his mouth...

But really, these are his absolute favorite cookies. Since he's not big on sweets, the "snap" from the ginger and the other spices is exactly what he wants in a cookie.

One of the great things about these cookies is that you can make them as soft and gooey (Levi's favorite) or as crispy and snappy (my favorite) as you want.

This recipe comes from an old family reunion cookbook, so you know it's got to be delicious! And, bonus, it's also incredibly easy to make. And now, it'll be even easier to get the recipe! At the bottom of the post is a version of the recipe that you can print right from this post.

Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg

2 1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbs. raw sugar, separate

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees first. Then add the butter and the sugar together. When you soften the butter, make sure you don't do it in the microwave. If your butter becomes liquid at all your batter will be too runny and your cookies will not bake properly. 

When you cream the butter and sugar together, you're welcome to use the standard method with a bowl and a utensil. I prefer the smoosh-it-around-with-my-hands-because-it's-super-fun method. Professional chefs recommend it, you know. Provided your hands are clean, naturally. And I always clean mine before getting them delightfully dirty and smooshy. 

Add the molasses and the egg. In order to get the right amount of molasses, I use a spatula to scrape it out of the measure cup because, man, that stuff is super sticky. And delicious. Anyway, mix all of that together until it's super smooth. It will turn an amazing brown color. 

The recipe tells you you're supposed to whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add them to the wet mixture. I, however, hold by the notion that it's not worth it to dirty an extra bowl. Especially when the batter is as smooth as this and as easy to mix. So that's why all those lovely spices are just dumped unceremoniously on top of the wet mixture. Either way, mix the wet and the dry together until your batter looks like this: 

So, totally, awesome. Now it's time to press them onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. And yes, you did hear me say "press." Some recipes ask you to drop cookie dough while others ask you to give it a slight press, but this isn't one of those. For these cookies, press it. Press it hard. Make 'em look like this: 

Then give them a sprinkle with some raw sugar for some cookie bling (the only time I like that word): 

Now they're ready for baking! Give them 9 minutes or so if you want them super soft and gooey. Give them 11-12 minutes if you want them with a bit of a snap to them. Be sure to note: the gooier you make them, the longer they'll have to sit afterward to make sure they don't flop and fall apart all over the place when you try to pick them up!

These cookies were left in for 11 minutes. The sprinkle of sugar makes them so lovely! And you can see how much they bend, even after 11 minutes. That's the molasses. Molasses is good. 

Enjoy the cookies! 

Here's the easy, printable version of the recipe: 

Have a great weekend!