Chewy Ginger Snaps

I love that fall has arrived and I can start baking apple desserts, spice desserts, pumpkin desserts and all of those other classic fall flavors. I love ginger cookies, and I’m always up to trying a new one. A little while ago, I got a text from my friend asking if I was familiar with products from The Ginger People. I’d seen their products in baking supply stores and had used their crystallized ginger before. 

She was asking as she saw the crystallized ginger chips at the store and figured I could make excellent cookies with them. She thought the recipe on the package looked good; I agreed and that’s what these are. You could certainly use finely diced crystallized ginger in this recipe, but the ginger chips make the recipe a lot easier to put together. Chopping crystallized ginger can be very difficult!

I made these cookies and refrigerated the dough overnight. I like to give spice cookies time for the flavors to come together. I think it is difficult to get all of the flour mixed in when I make spice cookies, why I have that problem with this type of cookie and no other type baffles me! This recipe makes about three and a half dozen. I rolled most of mine in orange sanding sugar because it makes the cookies more festive. I rolled some of the cookies in plain sugar, as my husband doesn’t like sanding sugar, and they still look great. I love these cookies: strong ginger flavor, chewy on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside.

Chewy Ginger Snaps

2-1/4 cups flour

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

3-1/2 ounces crystallized ginger chips

Coarse sugar, for decoration

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Mix on medium until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and the egg and stir until combined. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Stir just until the flour is incorporated into the dough. Stir in the crystallized ginger chips. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the cookies into 1-inch balls and roll in coarse sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, cookies should still be soft when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from The Ginger People