Ginger snaps – from a tall can Mom brought home from the supermarket – were always a favourite of mine growing up. These spicy ginger cookies- made with both fresh and candied ginger- are a more mature version of my childhood favourite! Try this easy recipe for the holidays and all year round as well.
Ingredients:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon click here to buy ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 170g (1 ½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½” fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 4 tablespoons chopped candied ginger click here to buy candied ginger
Instructions:
- Preheat to 350 F.
- Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and powdered spices.
- In an electric mixer, cream the butter. Beat in the sugar until fluffy, then add the egg. When well mixed add the grated ginger and the candied ginger.
- On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating only until thoroughly mixed. Do not overbeat.
- Place well-rounded teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough on paper-lined or oiled baking sheets about 3 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are brown all over, about 13-15 minutes. 13 minutes will give you soft cookies while 15 will give a crunchier base.
- Transfer the cookies to racks to cool.
- Store in airtight containers.
Recipe credit: This recipe is adapted from the original recipe by Amada Hesser in her book “Cooking with Mr. Latte,” (published by W.W. Norton and Company Inc., 2004). She has adapted the recipe from Maida Heatters Cookies by Maida Heatter (Andrew McMeal Publishing, 1997.)
Critical Ingredients:
What makes these cookies fun is the candied ginger! If you leave it out, you still have nice, yummy ginger snaps. I like using fresh ginger – perhaps because I love ginger. You could substitute ½-1 teaspoon ground ginger powder, depending on how spicy you want the cookies. I find leaving out cloves doesn’t really make that much of a difference to flavour of the cookies. The Pepper Cook, of course, has to have pepper!!