Christmas

Classic Gingersnaps

by:
December 16, 2013
4
4 Ratings
Classic Gingersnaps
  • Makes two dozen cookies.
Author Notes

Easy and classic gingersnaps -- adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Easily doubled to make in bulk, and packs perfectly in gift packages! A failproof holiday recipe. —Cynthia Chen McTernan

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup bread flour (if you don't have bread flour, just use 1 cup plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional, for an extra kick)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until well-blended and fluffy. Add the molasses and whisk again until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix gently until a dough forms.
  2. Turn the dough out onto saran wrap and fully wrap it. I lined a square dish with saran wrap and patted the dough into the dish so that it formed a square, which is easier to cut into even pieces to roll into balls for baking. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
  3. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place at least two inches apart on parchment paper or greased foil. The cookies will spread, so give them room. For chewier cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes. For crisper, bake longer, about 13-14. I took mine out at 12 exactly and they had a bit of chew in the middle, with very crunchy edges.
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  • Melissa Merritt
    Melissa Merritt
  • Cynthia Chen McTernan
    Cynthia Chen McTernan
  • Debora Morgan
    Debora Morgan

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4 Reviews

Melissa M.
Melissa M. December 22, 2015
I just made these and they didn't rise at all! They taste great but are super flat. I doubled the recipe but was careful about my measurements. The only thing I can think of is that my baking soda is old? I want to give them as gifts but they are not very attractive as is.
 
Cynthia C.
Cynthia C. December 22, 2015
Hi Melissa, I'm so sorry that happened! Do you mean that they spread a lot in the oven? When I get flat cookies, it's usually because the dough spread too much, rather than the leavening being an issue (although that could be it too). Things that help the cookies from spreading, in my experience, are chilling the dough and baking them while they're still cold, raising the oven temperature by about 25 degrees so that they have less time to spread (and taking them out a little earlier as a result), and using thinner baking sheets that have less insulation. You could also maybe try adding a tablespoon or two more flour, although that's usually my last resort since it affects the texture and flavor. Anyway, I hope that helps!! I know cookie spread is one of my most frustrating issues -- so sorry that that happened to you too.
 
Debora M.
Debora M. October 13, 2015
Great cookies! I needed four gingersnap cookies for a pie crust and decided to just make the whole recipe. I followed the recipe exactly- except that I was short on time and only put them in the fridge for about an hour (an hour is perhaps being generous). I rolled them into balls and they didn't flatten, maybe that's the reason why. If I were to cut down on that chill time again I'd just flatten them a bit instead of leaving them balled up. They were still good but I prefer that flatter shape the original picture shows.
 
Cynthia C.
Cynthia C. December 22, 2015
Oh no, I'm so sorry! I actually would have thought that chilling the dough for less time would make the cookies spread more, not less... Maybe lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees, or try an insulated baking sheet? You could also omit a tablespoon or two of flour next time. I'm so sorry about that, it frustrates me so much when cookies don't spread! I'm so glad they still tasted good.