On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me freshly a baked ginger snap
The first of this year's Christmas cookies! Ginger snaps are on of the traditional Christmas cookies that I grew up with. They are quick and easy to assemble, and very tasty! The only caveat is that letting the dough chill before baking is important and so they aren't as good for whim cookies.
Ingredients:
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
3/4 c butter
1 c sugar + 1/4 c to roll the cookies in after
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
2 tsp grated orange peel
(optional 2 tsp dried orange peel bits)
1) Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and mix until smooth. Add orange zest and orange peel.
2) Gradually add the dry ingredients (you can sift these together beforehand and then add them, but that is optional), and stir to form cookie dough. Chill for 30 minutes at least.
3) Roll the dough into marble-sized balls and then roll in the remaining 1/4c of sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet with at least double the size of the marbles between the balls of dough - these spread! Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
I love these! The smell of ginger snaps baking is so reminiscent of Christmas time for me, and of baking as a family growing up, with friends, and now with my own little family. I hope you enjoy them. Stay tuned for the next 11 days of Christmas cookies!