Whole Wheat, Triple-Ginger Ginger Snaps

It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.

Today: With cookie-eating sesaon right around the corner, we're bringing back one of our favorite Small Batches: Megan Fleiner's from passports & pancakes recipe puts the ginger in ginger snap.

If the holidays could be condensed into a single baked good, I think it would be a ginger snap. They're full of warm spices, sweetened with rich molasses, and perfect served warm with a glass of milk. One bite and I am instantly transported to a spot in front of the fireplace, stockings hanging overhead. 

This recipe gives you a triple dose of ginger -- ground, fresh, and candied. Each one contributes a slightly different flavor variation, yielding the perfect amount of spice. I like the whole wheat flour and light brown sugar combination the most, but you can swap all-purpose flour or dark brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.

More: If your pantry is in need of candied ginger, make your own or pick some up in Provisions.

If you are in the mood to dress these cookies up for a dinner party dessert, I would suggest making ice cream sandwiches with cinnamon ice cream -- you will not be sorry!

Ginger Snaps

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, a room temperature 
3 ounces unsulfured molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5 ounces candied ginger, finely chopped
Demerara sugar, for coating

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and dried spices. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy.

Add the molasses, egg, and fresh ginger, and beat for an additional minute to combine. Stir in the candied ginger. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour about 1/2 cup of the Demerara sugar (or another raw cane sugar) onto a plate or shallow bowl. For each cookie, take 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it between your palms, and coat with sugar. Place each dough ball on the lined baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each one.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (12 will give you a chewier cookie, 15 a crunchier one). Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies will keep, covered, for 1 week.

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Megan Fleiner