The BEST Chewy Ginger Snap Cookies

The BEST Chewy Ginger Snap Cookies

 I cannot take credit for this recipe. I inherited it from my husband's Grandma Charles, who would make them every year for the holidays. These chewy and delicious cookies would be fought over and hidden, EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.  This indicated to me that clearly good ol' Grandma C just wasn't making enough! You see, I come from a family of Italians and to us enough is having far too much.  So I asked Grandma for the recipe and now every year I make batches upon batches.  She has since decided that I make them better so has left the snap supply solely up to me. Serves me right for stealing her recipe, right?!

So here it is, Grandma Charles's Chewy Ginger Snap Recipe

**Hint, if you want them to turn out chewy, you must take them out just when they start to puff up and collapse, then leave them on the pan to finish off. I also use parchment paper to line my baking sheets which I have found makes for a better cookie overall. If you want them with a little more crunch  (a true snap to your snap) just leave them in a minute or two longer! 

 

Ingredients:

3/4 C. Shortening (vegetable)

1 C. Granulated Sugar

4 Tblsp. Molasses

1 Large Egg

2 C. Flour

2 tspn. Baking Soda

1 tspn, cinnamon

1 tspn. ground cloves

1 tspn. ground ginger

 

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cream sugar and shortening. Add molasses and egg and mix until well blended.  (I just use a wooden spoon and do this whole process by hand).

2. Sift dry ingredients together.

3. Gradually add all dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and combine well. 

4. Form dough into approximately 1 inch balls. 

4. Roll balls into a shallow bowl filled with some sugar. 

5. Place onto greased pan (or use parchment paper, I think the paper works much better)

6.  Bake 8-10 minutes, remove when not quite done (when you see the dough puff and collapse).  This will make for a chewier cookie, leave in for full amount if you want the cookie to have a little more crunch. 

Yields about 3 dozen. 

Ingredients.

Ingredients.

Starting to cream the sugar and shortening. 

Starting to cream the sugar and shortening. 

Sugar, and shortening now blended with egg and molasses. 

Sugar, and shortening now blended with egg and molasses. 

Dry ingredients.

Dry ingredients.

My little helper mixing the dry ingredients. 

My little helper mixing the dry ingredients. 

Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. 

Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. 

Formed dough. 

Formed dough. 

Gently roll the dough balls into the sugar. 

Gently roll the dough balls into the sugar. 

Sorry I got distracted with my son and didn't get any baking shots. But, here is the final product that I am enjoying as I write this!! 

They also freeze great, so you can make them ahead of time. I layer them in freezer bags with wax paper in between each layer.

Enjoy!!

xo,

Nicole 

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