24 May 2016

Fresh Ginger Snaps



I've been making these ginger snap cookies with fresh ginger for as long as I can remember. I'm not even sure where the recipe came from originally, but for sure my mom was making them before me. Using fresh grated ginger, instead of dried/ground, and then molasses makes people rave about these cookies. In fact, I made them for a gathering of friends last month and saw some those same friends last night and someone asked about them. I thought for sure I had already blogged this recipe and although I found a couple mentions, I couldn't find the actual recipe. Since I want to share the cookie love, I'm sharing the recipe now so you can try them in your own kitchen and share them with your friends and family.

Some friends have called them "ginger softs" since they tend to turn out with a crispy/sugary outside and a soft middle. That's the best way a cookie can turn out, if you ask me.

Fresh Ginger Snaps

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable shortening or butter (I use butter most often.)
4 Tbsp  Molasses
1 egg
1Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Mix together sugar and butter using a stand or hand mixer, mix until creamy.
  3. Add Molasses, egg and fresh grated ginger, mix until combined.
  4. Sift together the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the mixer, mixing until fully combined and you have something that resembles cookie dough. 
  5. Using about a Tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll the dough into a ball and then coat each ball of dough in sugar and set on your baking sheet. (I usually put about a little less than a half cup of sugar in a small bowl and then drop the dough ball in the sugar bowl and roll it around to get the sugar coating.) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about two and half dozen.