Gingersnaps scream old fashioned with their use of warm spices and molasses. They are a type of crispy cookie that makes a snapping sound when eaten or broken in half.
The brittle structure of gingersnap cookies makes them an easy cookie to package as gifts. The spiciness of the ginger and the richness of the molasses pairs well with tea or coffee.
Ginger flavored cakes have a very long history. Written accounts of ginger breads can be found as early as the 13th century in records of medieval monks in Franconia, Germany.
Variations of ginger snaps, ginger nuts, ginger biscuits, and ginger bread can be found around the world. Early versions of gingersnaps were firm gingerbread biscuits pressed with a stamp that imprinted a decorative pattern.
As English, Dutch, and German settlers came to American colonies, they brought the tradition of baking ginger snaps along with the necessary spices, including dried and powdered ginger.
Gingersnap recipes have appeared in many of the early American cookbooks, including The Improved Housewife by Mrs. A. L. Webster, published in 1844, Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book by Catharine Beecher published in 1846, and The Practical Cook Book by Mrs. Bliss in 1850.
This gingersnaps recipe is adapted from my Grandmother’s, The United States Regional Cook Book, published in 1939. When I inherited this cookbook, I noticed several pages marked using bookmarks made from a folded piece of plain paper from our local paper mill. I have kept each bookmark in place all these years. This page spread includes several cookie recipes from my childhood, including these gingersnaps. I have used a variation of this recipe for many years.
Steps to Making Gingersnaps Cookies
This gingersnaps recipe is bursting with the flavors of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses, and coated with granulated sugar for a little sparkle and crackly coating.
The full detailed recipe can be found at the bottom of this article, but here are the steps to making old-fashioned gingersnaps:
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough
Cream the butter and sugar together using a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg, molasses, and continue mixing until everything is well combined.
Gradually add flour mixture a little at a time and combine until well blended. Cover and chill cookie dough for at least one hour (or up to 24 hours).
Step 3: Bake the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Add the granulated sugar to a small bowl.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out about a heaping teaspoon of dough and shape into 1-inch sized balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat all sides, and place 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the dough balls for thin crispy cookies, or leave as is for a softer cookie.
Bake in a preheated oven until edges are set and tops are crackled, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on a wire rack. Makes about 48 cookies.
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling
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Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to a medium bowl. Stir with a wire whisk until combined. Set aside.
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Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and mix until well blended.
-
Gradually add flour mixture a little at a time and mix until well blended. Cover and chill cookie dough for at least one hour (or up to 24 hours).
-
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Add the granulated sugar to a small bowl.
-
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out about a heaping teaspoon of dough and shape into 1-inch sized balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat all sides, and place 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
-
Flatten the dough balls with the bottom of a glass for thin crispy cookies, or leave as is for a soft cookie.
-
Bake in a preheated oven until edges are set and tops are crackled, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on a wire rack. Makes about 48 cookies.
Resources:
- America’s Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking – Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald
- “A Brief History of Gingerbread” – Smithsonian Magazine
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America – Andrew F. Smith
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Amber Lee says
These are so delicious!! It’s like a hybrid of pumpkin pie and gingerbread but with a spicier twist. The entire family can’t stop eating them. The only major change to my batch of cookies was that I accidentally bought light brown sugar so I just added more molasses to compensate.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Amber, I am so glad you and your family enjoyed the gingersnaps. Adding a little molasses is the perfect way to keep the extra dark color when substituting light brown sugar.