I have always loved ginger snaps, but I did not bake them often. Maybe that’s because I really love a cookie with nuts and chocolate (preferably together). Or, perhaps it’s because one can find a good ginger snap at the grocery store. Today, I can even find a gluten-free equivalent that meets all of my dietary requirements. But it’s still fun to create a ginger snap that can be eaten warm from the oven.
Here’s my sister’s recipe, updated to eliminate the gluten:
Amy’s Ginger Snaps
3/4 lb. (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 and 1/4 cups arrowroot starch
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
3 teaspoons ginger root powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 large non-stick cookie sheets.
In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in vinegar, molasses, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, baking soda, xanthan gum, ginger root powder, cinnamon, and cloves (optional). Then, add dry ingredients in stages to batter. Incorporate each addition.
Batter will be sticky. Drop from a soup spoon or tablespoon, leaving room for each cookie to spread to about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 325 degrees (convection oven, 300 degrees for 10-11 minutes). Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from pan. Yield: 6 dozen cookies. Freezes well.
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It was very hard for me to wait even the required 2-3 minutes to eat one of these cookies. They are delightfully chewy with a delicate blend of spices—perfect for a fall day, with some hot apple cider. (And no one will know if you eat the first cookie warm from the oven, even if it does break in two. It will taste great, regardless.)