Grandma Lena’s Ginger Snaps

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Of all the smells that came out of my grandma’s kitchen…from sugar cookies, to dumpling soup, to raised doughnuts…these ginger snaps might just be my favorite.

There is some debate among the family as to whether in their ideal form they are chewy or crispy.  I find them delicious either way, but my preference is chewy.  Having said that, I am also forgetful, and so invariably, I end up with some crispy cookies as well!

Ginger Snaps

Sometimes called molasses cookies or molasses crinkles…this is an old fashioned cookie recipe.  It may be the only cookie that I use Crisco in instead of butter.  It’s what my grandma used, so it’s what I use.  Feel free to substitute butter, but I can’t vouch for results, since I’ve never tried it.

Your kitchen will smell like autumn when you bake them.  Spicy and sweet.  They are the perfect fall cookie.  (Now, after writing that, my husband just walked in and said, “It smells like Christmas in here, what are you making?!”  :-))

After mixing up your dough, it needs to chill for a bit before you scoop and roll the dough into balls, coating them in sugar before flattening and baking.

Sometimes I double the recipe and freeze half to pull out on a lazy day.  Fresh baked cookies with virtually no effort.  Yes, please!  I thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight.

And here’s a tip for not wasting any leftover sugar used to roll the cookie dough in…I just pick out any bits of cookie dough and add it, with a little cinnamon, to my cinnamon-sugar jar.  Am I the only one with a cinnamon-sugar jar?  We use it on toast and on buttered rice…mmmm!

Baking tip:  cookies are done when they have cracks on top.

After baking, let your cookies cool a bit on a wire rack before storing. They don’t last long around my house!

Ginger Snaps

September 14, 2017

by Susan

Category Desserts Recipes

Prep Time

1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time

12 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 Tblsp. molasses
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• additional white sugar for rolling (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions

1. Cream shortening and sugar
2. Add egg and molasses
3. Combine dry ingredients and add to mixer
4. Cover and chill in refrigerator for about an hour
5. Scoop into balls, roll balls in white sugar
6. On baking sheet, flatten balls with a glass dipped in sugar (to prevent sticking)
7. Bake at 325 until tops have cracks (about 10-12 minutes)

Tags

baking,

cookies,

freezer

This recipe, like all my recipes, is shared in the Meal Plan Monday link up.  You can find the link in my sidebar – or right here!