Best Ginger Snaps Ever

Sorry this post took forever! As soon as I announced into the universe that I’d have my ginger snap post up in time for Christmas, the universe responded back with plots to thwart my every effort in attaining that goal. But I did manage to get it posted before the end of the year, so we must all be thankful for small victories. Now let me tell you about these super-awesome ginger snaps that I’m teaching you to make today…

These cookies are spicy, and crunchy around the edges, and the very center is still just a bit chewy. They pair deliciously with a cup of homemade egg nog (or storebought if you don’t know how to make egg nog). If you aren’t an egg nog fan, you can also enjoy these delectable cookies with a cup of a really good dark roast coffee. My favorite dark roasts are Eight o’Clock brand’s Dark Italian Espresso and Lavazza’s Gran Selezione.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe for the best ginger snaps you’ve ever tasted:

Ingredients:

3 sticks butter
16 oz. (1lb.) sugar
10 oz. gluten-free all-purpose flour
11.2 oz. brown rice flour
2 tsp. ground ginger powder
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. non-iodized table salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. grated ginger
5.6 oz. molasses
sugar for rolling

Directions:

Measure butter and sugar together in large bowl and set aside to let butter soften while preparing other dough ingredients.
Whisk together flours, spices, leavener, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar with mixer on medium speed (start slowly and increase speed gradually). Add eggs, ginger, and molasses and beat until uniform.
Add dry ingredients to wet in 3 additions, slowly increasing speed each time and turning mixer off each time so dry ingredients don’t fly everywhere.
Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until dough is firm.
Preheat oven to 360°. Arrange dough, shallow dish with sugar, and lined cookie sheets for rolling.
Cut dough into 0.7 oz. portions. Roll dough balls in sugar and transfer to lined cookie sheet. Flatten dough balls into thick cookie shape with fingertips.
Bake cookies at 360°F 13-16 minutes, turning pans and rotating top to bottom as necessary if oven heats unevenly. If cookies brown too quickly, reduce temperature. If cookies melt rather than baking, turn temperature up.
Remove pans from oven and cool cookies on pan 2-3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
Enjoy cookies with a glass of milk, cup of hot chocolate, or cup of coffee.

You may notice that this recipe can easily be cut in half. I’m actually posting my recipe for a double batch. Over the holidays, I never don’t need a million ginger snaps. I recommend making the doubled recipe that I posted today for the winter season, and then cut it in half if someone wants ginger snaps for their birthday between March and October.

Let me tell you some stories about ginger snaps and the people who love them…

People either love or hate ginger snaps. The people who love them REALLY love them. When I sold baked goods at the green markets in 2017, those people would approach my booth with a crazed look of desperation like, “you got any more of those ginger snaps?” And then they’d buy half my ginger snap inventory in one fell swoop. Year-round, whether it was 40°F or 90°F out, ginger snaps were always my top seller.

So I hope all you ginger snap lovers enjoy making these cookies at home! Please leave your thoughts in a comment below, or get in touch with me directly by filling out the form on the contact page.