Gingersnap Cookies
Yield: about 5 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
3/4 cup vegetable shortening*
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*You can substitute butter for the shortening for cookies that will be softer.
Coating
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Gingersnap Cookies
Hey again, it's Kiley here! As you will soon come to notice, cookies are one of my favorite desserts to eat and to make! I love the whole process, from seeing the ingredients come together into a delicious dough, to rolling out the cookies, and finally to tasting a fresh from the oven homemade cookie. I adore a crisp gingersnap cookie, altough Efrain prefers soft ones. This recipe can bring you the best of both- by baking them for 9 minutes, the edges were crisp and the middles were softer, a sweet way to have it all in one. These cookies are perfect for any time of the year, you don't have to wait for a holiday to tempt your taste buds with these!
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Beat together the shortening, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
3) Beat in the egg, then the molasses.
4) Add the flour and spices, beating to make a smooth, fairly stiff dough.
5) To make the coating, combine the sugar and cinnamon, and place in a shallow pan or dish.
6) Drop the dough in 1" balls into the cinnamon-sugar mixture; a teaspoon cookie scoop can be used here.
7) Roll the balls in the sugar to coat, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2" between them; they'll spread as they bake.
8) Bake the cookies for 11 minutes, for cookies that are crisp around the edges, and "bendy" in the center. Bake for 13 minutes, for cookies that are crisp/crunchy all the way through.
9) Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool right on the pan, or on a rack. Cool completely, then store tightly wrapped, at room temperature
**I let the cookie dough chill in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes before baking, to help make them easier to roll by hand. I baked the cookies for 9 minutes, to make them softer. If you are baking multiple trays in the oven at one time, be sure to switch the positions of the trays after 6 minutes to make sure that they all bake evenly.
This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour, and the original recipe can be found here.
Posted on: 2/27/2014