Over the years I've shared a number of different gingerbread recipes. It's hard to pick a favorite - maybe one day I will, but for right now, these Gingersnaps are really hitting the spot.  They are refreshingly spicy.  It surprises me each time I try one!  Not so much that it scares you away, but enough that the gingery flavor lingers in your mouth, convincing you to go back for another one.  Just writing this makes me want to sneak back into the kitchen for more!

I used dried (non-crystallized) ginger chunks in this recipe - I bought a big bag of it at Costco and my 3 year old loves to eat it as a snack!  It's too spicy for me, but it's absolutely perfect in this recipe.  IF you can't find this, then use the crystallized ginger. Since it's sugared, you'll want to reduce the sugar in the recipe (I'd probably leave out at least half of the white sugar).

For more Gingerbread Recipes, check out these!  Gingerbread Cookies, Gingerbread Biscotti, Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Gingerbread Pinwheels, Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Filling, and Spice Bites.     



Gingersnaps

• 1/2 c. dried ginger chunks
• 1/4 c. white sugar
• 1 1/2 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
• 3/4 c. unsulphured molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp roasted lemon zest
• 3 3/4 c. flour, divided
• 2 Tbsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Approx. 1/2 c. raw turbinado sugar

In a food processor, pulse white sugar, dried ginger chunks, and 1/4 cup of your flour in food processor to small pea sized chunks. Be careful - if you go too far, it just turns into a gooey mushy mess.  Set aside.


In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar.  Mix in the molasses.  Add the egg and beat 2-3 minutes.  Scrape down the edges and add in the roasted lemon zest.  

In a separate bowl, sift together the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour with the ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, white pepper, and cloves.  Slowly mix into the butter mixture.  Beat until fully incorporated.  

Divide dough in half and shape into two rectangles, about 3/4" thick.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill, 4 hrs or overnight.  *Note - make sure they are evenly thick all the way across. 

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into equal teaspoon sized balls.  The easiest way to do this is to cut the block of chilled dough into cubes, all about 3/4" (yes, I actually measured them!)

Roll the cubes into balls.  If they start getting soft, put them back in the fridge for a little while to firm up.  Keep any dough you're not working on in the fridge as well.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  You can use parchment paper or an ungreased baking sheet, but my cookies didn't crisp up as well when I baked them on a silicone baking mat.

Dip a the bottom of a bowl or cup in some flour and use it to press down hard on the dough balls.  They should flatten out to about 1/8" thick.  Make sure whatever you're using to smash the dough is actually flat on the bottom, not concave.  Otherwise you'll end up with crispy burned edges and a thick too-soft middle.  

Sprinkle the top generously with turbinado sugar and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until browned and crisp.  Allow to cool completely on the pan (they will crisp up more as they cool!).  Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 130 cookies.