Ginger snaps

[joesfolk]

Folks, I need your very best ginger snap recipe to give as a gift. I need to get the package in the mail soon. Please help me find the best gingersnaps ever.

 

[babetoo]

sorry, i have never made them. someone has and they will come along.

 

[forty_caliber]

How about this one....

Christmas Ginger Cookies (1991 3rd Place Winner)
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Recipe By: Chicago Tribune Annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest
Serving Size: 96
Yield: 96 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup Unsalted butter or
Margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups Granulated sugar
1 Egg
2 tablespoons Dark corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons Grated orange rind
1 tablespoon Water
3 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Baking soda
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon Ground cloves
1/4 tablespoon Salt
*** ICING ***
1 Egg white
1 tablespoon Almond extract
Confectioners' sugar, as needed, (about 2-4 cups)

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl with electric mixer. Beat in egg until light. Stir in corn syrup, orange rind and water. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Stir into butter mixture to form a dough. Divide dough in half. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.

2. Heat oven to 325℉. Have lightly greased baking sheets ready.

3. Roll out one piece of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface or between sheets of floured wax paper to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

4. For icing, mix egg white and almond extract in small bowl until frothy. Stir in confectioners' sugar until mixture is a drizzling consistency . Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until icing sets. Store covered.

Notes:

This recipe uses raw egg white. Cases of salmonella poisoning have been traced to raw eggs, although this is rare and usually associated with the yolks.

These orange-flavored ginger cookies captured third place for Janis C. P eterson of Geneva, Illinois. The rolled, cutout cookies are easy to bake , have a delicious combination of fresh tastes and are sure to bring plea sure to the recipients.

From the Chicago Tribune Fourth Annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 5, 1991

 

[joesfolk]

Well, since this is the only response I got I'm going to try it. I just wonder about the lack of molasses in them. I thought all gingersnaps had molasses. Thanks for the response. I'll let you know how they turn out.

 

[Zhizara]

Well, since this is the only response I got I'm going to try it. I just wonder about the lack of molasses in them. I thought all gingersnaps had molasses. Thanks for the response. I'll let you know how they turn out.

I love gingersnaps, but don't bake cookies. I too was surprised at no molassas. Try Googling "gingersnaps recipes" - that's what I do when I want to make something. I read a bunch of the recipes until I find one that sounds right, or a combination of more than one, except in the case of cookies I learned not to make substitutions.

 

[Claire]

I'm going to insert this for the heck of it. Someone gave me a bunch of Swedish ginger snaps as their contribution to my holiday party. Way too many. I was about to try to figure out what I could donate, what to give to others, etc, when I remembered that they are the thickening ingredient to the gravy for some German beef dish. I don't need a recipe, I've got a gadzillion cookbooks, just thought I'd remind people that it really is tasty, crumbled and used to thicken a beef gravy.

 

[sewinthyme]

Gingersnap Recipe

I have used this recipe for a few years and it is always a hit. The other recipe that was posted is a ginger cookie, not a gingersnap...there is a difference...hopefully it isn't too late.


Ingredients

• 2/3 cup butter (softened)
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup white sugar (approximately)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Mix butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and packed brown sugar thoroughly with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and mix well. Pour in molasses. Mix dry ingredients together and then add to butter/sugar mixture until incorporated.
2. Roll teaspoonful of dough into ball, drop into sugar to coat.
3. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes.

 

[bakechef]

Gingersnaps

¾ cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg beaten
2 ¼ cups flour
2 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Cloves

Cream together shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg beat to combine. Sift dry ingredients into wet and mix just until combined. Roll into small balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake @ 325 until tops are crackled and no longer gooey.

These are my favorite, really chewy and everything I want a gingersnap to be.

 

[joesfolk]

Thanks everyone. I used the first recipe. At the time it was all I had. But I didn't have any dark Karo on hand so I ended up using one tablespoon of light Karo and one tablespoon of molasses. The dough has been sitting in the fridge waiting for me since yesterday morning. I hope to have time to cook them off today. I'll let you know how they turn out but I think I am going to try the other recipes too. Can't actually have too many gingersnaps. And thanks for the idea about the gravy. I remember that now that you brought it to mind. I think I'm going to try that too. It sounds so good right now.

 

[joesfolk]

I finally got around to baking the first ginger cookies in this thread with the small change already mentioned. I was disappointed that they did not roll out well. I ended up adding a couple of tablespoons of water to the dough. But they baked up fine. The flavor is lovely but I can't really say they are ginger "snaps" though they do have a crisp texture. Thanks for the help everyone.