Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Kitchen Reader Cookie Exchange

This month, instead of a book review, we're posting a favorite/meaningful/holiday-ish cookie. My cookie is a double gingersnap. I've been making then for more years than... well, for a long time. I got the recipe from this book: The Wellesley Cookie Exchange. Apparently, this is one of the oldest exchanges around. I'm unsure of the actual history, but I know they've been doing it a while and there are two cookbooks based on their treats.

This was my first real taste of ginger. I have absolutely grown to love this cookie like no other. This is my favorite winter cookie. It's the one people request when they ask me to bake for them. They are spicy and sweet, slightly crunchy and chewy, and, I think I need to go bake. I only ever need to look at this recipe once a year, usually in the fall, to refresh my memory. The page in the cookbook is appropriately stained.

I have no photos of the cookies that come from this recipe. I think we just always eat them before I ever get to take any. I'm stealing this photo (with full credits) because mine look just as yummy.
Ginger Snaps Recipe

Here's the recipe if you'd like to have some ginger nirvana:

Double Gingersnaps (courtesy of the Wellesley Cookie Exchange cookbook)

3 sticks butter, softened
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. ground cloves
4 t. ground ginger
*sugar for rolling

In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Blend the dry ingredients together. Add carefully to the mix. Stir just until no flour remains. Refrigerate the dough AT LEAST four hours. (I always make this the day before I want to bake.) Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, and then roll in sugar. Place on ungreased sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes. The cookies will puff up and then shrink and crackle.

*I have experimented with different kinds of sugar - granulated, coarse, ginger (the sugar left from candied ginger). All are delicious.

Happy cookies!



7 comments:

Kayte said...

Look incredibly delicious...can I come over there and have some?

Megan said...

Mmmm - I love a good gingery ginger cookie. And since you've been making it for such a long time, it must be worthy.

julia::ordinarysaturdays said...

Those are really similar to my grandma's version. Although I think yours turn out crispier than mine do?

Anonymous said...

They look great! It's so nice that people request that you bake these - what a compliment!

Cakelaw said...

These look fab - and I love ginger snaps. Thanks for sharing.

karen said...

You've made these sound so terrific, I'll have to try them!

Linda said...

I have been baking these since the 80s when the book came out. I lived in Anchorage Alaska and at the office I worked in I made these cookies. The first time I made them I got 2 marriage proposals, with the stipulation I continue making these cookies. They have been a hit ever since. My favorite ginger cookie