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Gingersnaps

From the book Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen by Tom Douglas

Yield

4 to 5 doz.

Introduction

A simple, homey cookie, but one of our favorites. Grated fresh ginger, instead of powdered ginger, gives these cookies the snap the name promises. We serve gingersnaps with creamy desserts, such as ice creams, sorbets, or custards. These flavor-filled cookies are best when they are still very slightly warm from the oven.

Ingredients

	1	cup sugar, plus ½ cup more for rolling
	¾	cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
	1	large egg
	¼	cup molasses
	2	tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
	2	cups all-purpose flour
	2	tsp. baking soda
	½	tsp. kosher salt
	½	tsp. ground cinnamon

Steps

In a large bowl with an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, molasses, and ginger, and mix to combine. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Refrigerate the dough, covered with plastic wrap, for at least an hour before shaping the cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup sugar on a plate. Form ¾-inch balls of the dough and roll the balls in the sugar before placing them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press the balls of dough flat with the palm of your hand. The cookies should be spaced 2 or 3 inches apart after they are flattened.
Bake until golden brown and set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center, 7 to 8 minutes, turning the baking sheet around in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before removing them with a metal spatula. The gingersnaps will firm up as they cool.

Notes

Gingersnaps will stay fresh for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also keep the baked and completely cooled cookies in the freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for a week or two. The cookie dough can be made ahead, tightly wrapped, and refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for even longer.

Culinate editor’s notes: These cookies will turn out equally delicious with whole-wheat pastry flour subbing for the regular flour. You can also add nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and mace to the cookies (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. each) for a spicier flavor. And rolling the dough balls in demerara or muscovado sugar (or regular granulated sugar) will result in cookies with a satisfying surface crunch.

This content is from the book Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen by Tom Douglas.

Pure Dessert

My Gingersnaps

The Gourmet Cookie Book

Speculaas (Saint Nicholas Cookies)

Ronnie Fein

Gingersnaps

Sara Perry

Gingerbread Men

There are 34 comments on this item

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Average Rating 5

26% recommend this recipe

1. by scavalie on Dec 5, 2008 at 12:56 PM PST

YUM! I am definitely going to add these to the growing list of cookies to be baked this year.

2. by gkran on Dec 5, 2008 at 12:58 PM PST

These look so thin and crispy!

3. by weth on Dec 5, 2008 at 1:10 PM PST

This recipe looks delicious! I’d serve ‘em with tea or hot cider.

4. by dusksunset on Dec 5, 2008 at 1:12 PM PST

Ginger snaps are my favorite type of cookie and this recipe looks great.

5. by cdziuba on Dec 5, 2008 at 1:30 PM PST

These look great! I like that there is a chewy element to the cookies, but also a crispness.

6. by ennsee on Dec 5, 2008 at 1:48 PM PST

What perfect timing. I was looking a gingersnap cookie recipe that used pieces of crystallized ginger and I think this one sounds great.

7. by AsTheNight on Dec 5, 2008 at 1:50 PM PST

I love gingersnaps with a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. Thanks for sharing the recipe...it doesn’t seem difficult at all.

8. by faither on Dec 5, 2008 at 2:05 PM PST

Am making Gingerbread and gingerbread pancakes for a breakfast in the am, so next week or so will make these. Look Great.

9. by shandon on Dec 5, 2008 at 2:06 PM PST

I like my ‘snaps a little soft - and thus always make them a bit thicker.

10. by cozyct on Dec 5, 2008 at 4:10 PM PST

I am looking forward to trying these - I love the idea of fresh ginger instead of ground! Yum! Thank you!

11. by drala625 on Dec 5, 2008 at 4:42 PM PST

I bet these smell delicious when baking.

12. by nicole309 on Dec 5, 2008 at 5:19 PM PST

Another good one...really liking this series!

13. by Xanthippe on Dec 5, 2008 at 5:34 PM PST

Have I inadvertently stumbled on an even better gingersnap recipe than my standard go-to?? Perhaps I have; these I’m trying tomorrow! The use of fresh ginger is intriguing; as much I love crystallized ginger, I find it often dominates rather than enhances the final product.

14. by LOVESTOBAKEJUSTLAZY on Dec 5, 2008 at 5:43 PM PST

I am pretty sure culinate has a camera in my house spying on us, becuase I was just looking in books for an easy recipe- no joking. I want to thankyou folks for easy to do recipes, even for those baking for years, the simple recipes that work and are delicious stand out. I have already made the marshmellows and will be making this in the next few days also. These are also tasty when someone is sick or going through chemo, the ginger seems to soothe the tummy. Thankyou.

15. by Jane K on Dec 5, 2008 at 8:19 PM PST

Warm gingersnaps and a cold glass of milk. Yum!!Yum!!

16. by kimbly on Dec 5, 2008 at 8:45 PM PST

This is my grandmother’s favorite cookie. I can’t wait to make this! She will love them!

17. by madeas on Dec 5, 2008 at 9:31 PM PST

I love gingersnaps, so I imagine that I would like these gingersnaps.

18. by Dree on Dec 5, 2008 at 9:46 PM PST

I love Gingersnaps. I plan on making these. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

19. by dbrush on Dec 5, 2008 at 10:02 PM PST

I know what I’m doing tomorrow. My boys will love these.

20. by sdeas on Dec 6, 2008 at 12:13 AM PST

Would probably go well with warm tea on a cold winter day

21. by intime on Dec 6, 2008 at 2:48 AM PST

yummeroo

22. by Darlene936 on Dec 6, 2008 at 4:55 AM PST

I always include Gingersnaps in my Christmas collection. I’ll have to try this recipe as it is a slight variation from my recipe.

23. by jnmacdonald on Dec 6, 2008 at 8:19 AM PST

I love gingersnaps, but the store bought ones are never chewy. I can’t wait to make these. Too bad I don’t have fresh ginger on hand.

24. by ptreskovich on Dec 6, 2008 at 12:03 PM PST

love this type of cookie

25. by dolls123 on Dec 6, 2008 at 8:13 PM PST

These look really good

26. by valereee on Dec 7, 2008 at 9:59 AM PST

Nothing pulls me in faster than a cookie described as both crunchy and chewy, and ginger to boot? I’ll probably try to make these today! If I do, I’ll report back!

Val

27. by ivy on Dec 7, 2008 at 8:41 PM PST

Gingersnaps remind me of my grandmothers kitchen in the 60’s and the wonderful smells that came out of it. Thanks for the recipe, I will try it soon.

28. by L321 on Dec 7, 2008 at 11:23 PM PST

Looks delicious!

29. by Darlene936 on Dec 8, 2008 at 4:26 AM PST

I absolutely have to try these.

30. by paryjeja on Dec 8, 2008 at 6:35 AM PST

I love ginger cookies.

31. by valereee on Dec 9, 2008 at 2:34 PM PST

Okay, I made them and am reporting back. SERIOUSLY good cookie, and I am incredibly picky about what sweet is worth the calories. These are worth it. I’m going to a party this weekend and am supposed to bring either an appetizer or a dessert. I never choose to make dessert, but I am going to take these cookies.

32. by Lee Ann on Dec 10, 2008 at 2:12 PM PST

I love fresh ginger; it’s great in gingerbread and I can just imagine how wonderful it will taste in these cookies. Thanks for the recipe.

33. by anonymous on Mar 26, 2009 at 2:23 PM PDT

Another wonderful addition to any ginger cookie is ground pepper. I always use fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. In addition, I use half all purpose flour and half whole wheat. I then roll them in turbinado sugar. Takes ginger snaps to a whole new level

34. by Fernwoodsy on Dec 26, 2010 at 8:18 PM PST

I have Tom’s book and have made these gingersnaps many times. They are awesome and easy to make. I don’t use parchment or turn the cookie sheet during baking, I’m lazy. Everyone still loves them, they’re great with tea or coffee. Thanks for sharing the recipe online, I just baked some up and wanted to share the recipe with my Mom.

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