My Cookie Craving: Kaki’s Gingersnaps

Rich, chewy and exceptionally flavorful with a gorgeous sugar-coated crackled top. That describes my friend Kaki’s homemade gingersnaps. She made them last December for our big blow-out holiday Cookiepalooza, and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since. Yesterday morning, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I baked a double batch. And the world seemed sunnier because of it.

Kaki’s Gingersnaps:

• ¾ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon candied ginger, minced (optional)
• 1/2 cup additional sugar, for coating
• 1 package white chocolate coating, for dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy; add the egg and molasses and mix until well blended. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients then add the candied ginger if you’re using it and toss to coat the ginger. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Shape a tablespoon of dough into a ball and roll it in sugar, setting it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Personally, I like to use a 1″ cookie scoop and drop the scoop into a small bowl of sugar. It works just as well and each cookie comes out exactly the same size as the next. I’m sort of obsessive about stuff like that, but that’s just me.  Bake each tray of cookies for 12-14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely, then you can decide to dip or not to dip.

This is Kaki – making gingersnaps

This is Kaki making her gingersnaps. When she made them in December, we dipped them in white chocolate. And they were delicious. If you’d like to dip yours, melt a package of white chocolate or candy coating according to package instructions. Dip cookies half-way, scraping the bottom of the cookie along the edge of the bowl or pan to remove the excess. Place on parchment or wax paper and allow to set up until firm to the touch. If you’re in a pinch for time, you can pop the tray into the refrigerator or freezer for a  few minutes. Then bag and tag them. A single batch makes 24-30 cookies.

I liked them both ways – plain and dipped. But if I were to sit and eat them with a big glass of milk like The Complete Package and I did yesterday, I prefer them unadorned. Just plain, simple, powerful ginger goodness. But you try them both ways and judge for yourself. Will you be a white chocolate-dipped lover or a plain old-fashioned fan? Truthfully, I’ll take them any way I can get them.

Go on and bake some. You know you want to.