Chewy Gingersnaps

In the third grade, we had a chance to do show and tell for the entire class. We skimmed through our stuffed animals, books, and toys only to find nothing worthy of sharing with the class. After giving it some thought, we finally realized the perfect thing to share…cookies. More specifically the best gingersnaps. We had the perfect recipe from our third grade teacher.

We could have just brought in gingersnaps but instead we decided to do a ‘cooking show’ for the class. Our mom and dad kindly packed up the car with gingersnaps at three different phases. We had gingersnap ingredients (to make the batter), scooped gingersnaps on a tray to show how they looked before baking, and gingersnaps baked to pull out of the ‘oven’ (also known as the table in the front of the third grade classroom). After doing the show and tell of how to make the gingersnap cookies, we happily shared them with the entire class. 

These gingersnaps are so quick and easy to make that even as third graders we were able to make them, plus they are so delicious that even third graders enjoyed them! Not to mention, we have used the same recipe for years and feel no need to tweak how things were done back when we were in the third grade – they are that good. 

These gingersnaps are soft and chewy in the center and slightly crisp on the outside. They are filled with warm, winter spices and coated in a glimmer of sugar. Each bite is chewy, soft, and filled with warm winter spices. These gingersnaps are something we look forward to each holiday season. 

How to make the gingersnaps:

To make the gingersnaps, add butter, shortening, and sugar to the base of a stand mixer. On medium-high speed cream them together until well combined. This will take about 1 minute for the base to be light and fluffy.

After the sugar and butters are creamed together, add in the molasses and egg. Mix together on medium high speed for 1 minute until well combined and fluffy. Then add in the dry ingredients and pulse on low until just combined. 

Once the dough is made, chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking. After chilling, scoop the filled dough into balls and roll them in sugar. We like a flatter cookie, so we flatten the dough balls very slightly on top and then bake them for 15 minutes (for cookies that are 2.5 ounces each). 

Gingersnaps ingredient notes:

• Butter: We like using butter for the majority of the recipe as it provides great flavor and a softer cookie. Make sure the butter is softened for the best results. If you press a finger into the stick and it leaves an indent, it is ready! 
• Crisco: Although we prefer butter to Crisco in cookies for the taste, a little bit of Crisco in these gives the perfect texture. The Crisco enables a crisp when the cookies bake.
• Sugar: The sugar gets creamed with the butter and Crisco as the base of the cookie. The cookies are also rolled in sugar for the signature gingersnap look. Although we generally love a chewy cookie and add brown sugar for that reason, we use all granulated sugar here since we add molasses.
• Molasses: Molasses is a byproduct of refining sugarcane. It is a thick, sugary liquid that is used as a sweetener and is also what gives brown sugar its color (brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added back into it). Molasses adds a unique flavor and texture to the cookie.
• Spices: Spices are what make gingersnaps what they are! We pack our gingersnaps full of ginger and other classic spices from cinnamon to cloves to give them a warm, spiced flavor. We wouldn’t leave any of these out, but make sure to at least use cinnamon and ginger! 

Do I need to use butter and crisco?

This can be made with all butter, but we prefer to use a little bit of crisco in the dough. The crisco enables a little bit of crisp when they are baking, but since the dough is mainly butter they still have that great flavor.

Do I need to use all the spices?

We love a heavily spiced cookie, especially when it comes to gingersnaps. Afterall, there is a spice in the name itself! We pack our gingersnaps full of spices from cinnamon to cloves to give them a warm, spiced flavor. We would not omit any of these, but at least make sure to add in the cinnamon and ginger! 

Can I freeze these?

Yes! These can either be frozen at the dough stage or after baking. If you are freezing them at the dough phase (which is our preferred method for a warm cookie anytime) scoop them into balls so they can be rolled in sugar and popped in the oven when you are ready for them. Simply add a minute or two to the bake time for a warm gingersnap anytime!

Print

Gingersnaps

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• extra sugar for coating

Instructions

• In the base of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar for 1 minute on medium high speed until well combined
• Add in the molasses and egg and mix on medium high speed for 1 minute until well combined
• Add in dry ingredients and pulse the mixer until just combined
• Chill dough for at least 2 hours
• Scoop chilled dough into balls and roll them in sugar. We flatten them very slightly. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes (for cookies that are about 2.5 oz)

Entertainer’s Note:

Make these in advance and roll into balls. Simply store the dough balls in the freezer or fridge until ready to roll in sugar, bake, and serve!