Ginger Snaps

You know when your grandma hands you a cookbook that looks like this, that it's going to be filled with the most amazing no-fuss 'old world' recipes. It's a complication from everyone at my grandparents old church and is filled with every sort of food from mushroom turnovers to pork chop casserole to cranberry loaf. Basically everything I ever ate in my childhood is in here - including Ginger Snap cookies!

Here is a recipe in the book from a family friend (which I may have altered ever so slightly to make better):


Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
6 Tbsp molasses
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
Sugar, to toss in.

Put everything in a bowl and combined until well mixed (How awesome is that? No baking recipe ever lets you use just one bowl!). Roll into 1 inch balls, toss in sugar and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. This recipe will make about 4 dozen.

These cookies do have quite the snap to them, so make sure not to over-bake them or you'll have sugary coasters! They're really the very traditional ginger snap though and will bring you back to summers with your grandparents as a child (or at least they do for me)!