English Gingersnaps is one of my favorite Maida Heatter recipes. In her Great Cookies book, she has two versions. There's English Gingersnaps # 1 and English Gingersnaps #2. I prefer #2 because the cookies are thinner, crunchier and more gingery. In other words, my kind of spice cookie.
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Below is my adapted version of Maida’s English Gingersnaps #2. Maida adds orange peel to hers, but I usually leave that out and just use lemon.
Gingersnaps Didn't Crack
Here's a photo of the cookies piling out of a bucket. This is a very old picture and you can see that the Snaps didn't crack as much and spread more. The dough wasn't dry enough for some reason and I'll bet the butter was almost melted. The cookies in the newer photos were baked in a Breville toaster oven with convection. The dry heat causes cookies to crack more, which for Gingersnaps is a benefit.
Gingersnaps Size
English Gingersnaps can be made any size, but typically they are smaller than the ones in the photo. The ones in the photo were made with a tablespoon size cookie scoop (small size scoop). For even smaller Snaps, you can shape the dough balls yourself or buy an extra small scoop which is a teaspoon size. I don't own an extra small yet, but I think I'd make more Gingersnaps if I had one!
English Gingersnaps
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (270 grams)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt (kind of generous)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon each ground cloves, allspice and black pepper
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (170 grams)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
¼ cup mild molasses
1 large egg (50 grams)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (or try orange like Maida)
Thoroughly stir together flour, soda and salt. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and black pepper.
Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy; beat in the molasses and egg, then beat in the lemon zest.
By hand, stir in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. You shouldn't need to do this, but if the dough is too soft for some reason, chill the dough briefly.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Note: Maida's baking temperatures were always on the high side. I've noticed this with a lot of her old recipes and it probably just has to do with ovens being more efficient these days. You can bake these at 375F if you'd like, but you may get better results at 350 degrees F.
Scoop up rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and shape into small balls. Roll tops in sparkly sugar. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool & crisp on a rack.
Makes about 45 to 60 cookies
Tip: For crunchier cookies, use a heavy duty non-insulated baking sheet rather than an AirBake.
Recipe
English Gingersnaps
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (270 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt generous
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
- ¼ cup mild molasses (80 grams)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (my temp). or 375 degrees F (Maida's) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Thoroughly stir together flour, baking soda, salt and all the spices. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the molasses and egg, then beat in the lemon zest.
- By hand or using lowest speed of the mixer, stir in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Scoop up rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and shape into small balls. Roll tops in sparkly sugar. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool & crisp on a rack.
Carole Resnick says
on my 2013 holiday cookie list
Sue says
Had to check out this recipe after reading Jessica's comments this morning. These don't have crinkles! And the ratio of baking soda to flour is very similar to the Statesman contest gingersnaps. Interesting.
Anna says
I prefer using the store-bought hard-type ladyfingers.
Therese B. says
Hi Anna!
You rock....! Have you ever made homemade ladyfingers? I found a recipe from my most cherished Southern Living recipe book. They don't look all too difficult to make. Would it be easier to purchase ladyfingers?
Tiramisu...oh...don't you just love it!!!??!!!
Anna says
Therese, I love tiramisu. Usually I make White Russian Tiramisu from Cooking Light, but for a special occasion, I've been meaning to try this one.
Basic Tiramisu
2-3 cups very strong coffee
3 tablespoons Kahlua
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup granulated sugar
9 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
9 oz ladyfingers (savoiardi)
cocoa powder, for dusting
Have ready a rectangular glass pan (probably 13x9 or 12x8) -- I need to test this part.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat until pale and thick. Add mascarpone and continue beating. Set aside.
Whip the cream until stiff peaks hold, and fold gently into the egg mixture.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks in a perfectly clean metal bowl. Fold whipped egg whites into cheese mixture.
Combine the coffee and Kahlua in a bowl big enough to fit a ladyfinger. Quickly dip each ladyfinger in the coffee mixture and lay dipped ladyfingers along bottom of dish to cover. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top.Repeat with remaining biscuits and mascarpone, finishing with a creamy layer. Dust with cocoa.
This is adapted from a popular recipe on Recipezaar.
Therese B. says
I love gingersnaps!! Oh...what a great cookie for fall baking! Great scent in the kitchen!!
Anna...I have to bake desserts for a bridal shower this weekend...have you ever made homemade tiramsu???? We are going with an italian theme....I have a cheesecake....cannoli...but I have my mind bent on making tiramus....any suggestions?
Candy says
Yum! My favorite kind of cookies! These look delicious.
HoneyB says
YUMM I love gingersnaps with hot tea!
janelle says
Life is good when the cookie bucket is overflowing!
skinnymum says
Hi,
I am new to your blog - amazed by your amazing recipe collection and stunning photography! Spent the last few hours catching up on your archives. I am a sucker for beautiful pictures.....
Cheers!
Janet says
I am way behind on reading your blogs....busy times here....company coming and cleaning, etc. Anyway, I made some lemonade cookies recently and threw the recipe in the trash...the dough was too soft and the cookies fell apart. I refrigerated it and then right before baking, I added 1/4 cup flour to the remaining dough...they turned out well! In fact a friend raved so much about them that I had to pull the recipe out of the trash!!! Thanks for all these recipes to try!!!
Karen says
Maida Heatter is my absolute favorite. I have all her books (other than the compilations) and have made dozens of her recipes over the years. I hope to make the September 7 cake in her honor sometime before the end of the month.
Katrina says
German Struedel? Gotta say it with the accent.
maris says
These cookies look great but what I love even more is the adorable pail they are in! They'd make a great gift 🙂
clumbsycookie says
Sounds good to me! 😉
Anna says
Oooooh. Mexican Chocolate Cake. Rick Bayless has a good one!
Anna says
Spanish Bar Cake?
clumbsycookie says
You're so international today Anna! Dutch pie, English cookies, any plans for a French cake?
KAnn says
Great Cookies was one of my first cookbooks...I received it as a holiday gift from my college boyfriend in 1978...oh, how the years go by! I made the cream cheese brownies as I recall. I love all my Maida Heatter books...happy birthday, Maida!
Katrina says
They look good. A while back I was craving a good old crispy gingersnap. Glad to know where a good recipe is!
VeggieGirl says
Looove gingersnaps!