Ginger Snaps ~ A Holiday Staple

This recipe is from my Granny.  She was a wonderful cook, but not so much a baker.  Sort of like Rachael Ray.  However, this recipe is truly one of a kind.  They make wonderful crackles just like ginger snaps should have.  Perhaps it's the four teaspoons of baking soda?  Plus, they taste wonderful--which is even more important.  I did use organic palm shortening rather than your standard Crisco, but I didn't have the heart to use whole wheat flour.  Maybe next year?  Sometimes you just can't mess with perfection.

Ginger Snaps

1 1/2 cups shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar (I used rapadura)
1/2 cup molasses (I used blackstrap)
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. ginger
4 tsp. baking soda
4 cups flour
Additional sugar for coating cookie dough balls

Mix shortening and sugar together until creamy.  Add in molasses and eggs; combine thoroughly.  Mix in salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and baking soda to insure each is evenly distributed.  Add in flour one cup at a time until each is combined.  Dough will be very thick.  Refrigerate dough for 2-3 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Once chilled, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll each dough ball in sugar to coat.  (Using the advice of my sister, I now use a cookie scoop to shape the dough--much faster!  It changed my life.  Really.)   Bake each sheet for about 14 minutes.  I like a chewier cookie, but if you actually like them to snap like they are supposed to, bake a few minutes longer.  Makes about four dozen cookies.



This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  

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