My grandma's soft and chewy gingersnaps
I present to you: cookie induced nostalgia.
My grandma has been making these cookies (along with these, these - but with apples, and this) for as far back as I can remember. She always has tins of gingersnaps at her house around the holidays which is deadly for visitors who can be found devouring 4-5 in one sitting, no problem. As I've said before, she's my favorite baker in the world.
The combination of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon is so warm and divine, and one I absolutely crave this time of year. Especially in the form of a soft, but perfectly chewy gingersnap cookie, alongside a hot cup of something or other.
If you make these, I promise you that the smell in your kitchen alone will make it worth your while.
My grandma’s gingersnaps
Yields about 30-32 cookies
¾ cup shortening (I use Crisco original)
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp sea salt
Extra sugar in a small bowl for rolling (about ⅓ cup or so)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in center of oven. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together shortening and sugar for five minutes or so on medium low and then medium. Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt. When the shortening mixture is creamed, add egg and mix again for a few seconds until incorporated. Add in molasses, and mix again for 15 seconds or so until incorporated. Lastly, with the mixer on low, slowly add in dry ingredients. Mix only until incorporated, stopping to use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl once, and then finish with a few seconds of mixing on high. Use your hands to roll dough into balls (about 1¼ inches in diameter), place in small bowl of sugar and roll it around to coat. Place balls on a greased baking sheet, spaced at least a couple of inches apart. Bake for about 11-12 minutes until tops are cracked and cookie is set around the edges. If you’re baking more than one sheet at a time, switch the baking sheets to each other’s racks halfway through baking. Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes, and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
*Tip: to keep cookies soft and fresh, store in an airtight container with a piece of bread. The bread helps the cookies retain moisture.