Classic Gingersnap Cookies

If your family loves gingerbread, this is going to be a favorite.

Gingersnaps (ginger snaps, ginger cookies, ginger biscuits – whatever you like to call them) have been one of our favorites for ever and ever and ever. There’s actually an internal family debate on which version that I make is the best.

One son likes a pillowy, soft version that’s puffy like a crinkle cookie. But those didn’t do it for me. For me, the perfect version of the old-fashioned gingersnap cookie was one that was crispy on the outside, and chewy in the middle.

For me, these were perfect. But I forgot about them. Kids grow up and they don’t request cookies quite as often.

Then, I received a text message from Miri, a friend.

“As I’m getting ready for Shabbos, I just need to share with you that the best cookie I ever tasted is your gingerbread cookie recipe. I make it often and serve it to people to impress them. I love them! And all the people I share them with love them too!”

I was very appreciative that she reminded me about them. 

She continued, “It’s perfection in every bite. I think the ginger is an unexpected flavor that always makes people say, ‘Oh, it really is good.’ I think they first think I’m exaggerating when I tell them it’s the best cookie they’ll ever taste…”

Ok, well I admit, there’s lots of good cookies out there. These chocolate chip cookies are a favorite and these healthy-ish oatmeal cookies are another winner that my kids beg me to make. 

Unlike those cookies, which are pretty basic and don’t need you to take out a mixer, for these we do need to take out the mixer. 

But sometimes you do what you gotta do. And sometimes, that also means getting ahold of some ingredients that you might not automatically have on hand (although I do have ginger and molasses always on hand). 

So how do you make the perfect gingersnap cookie? Start by adding an egg and mixing until light and fluffy.

Add molasses, vanilla, and all dry ingredients – including the ground ginger.

Chilling the dough will keep the batter from overspreading when baking, and it will also help you end up with prettier, more evenly shaped cookies. (If you’re in a rush and your cookies don’t need to be pretty because Shabbos is coming and kids are just going to soon grab them from the jar anyway, you don’t absolutely need to chill. Just beware that they will spread more on the baking sheet, so space accordingly.)

One of the key features of this cookie is the sugar in the raw/turbinado sugar coating.

A note! These cookies will look undercooked and puffy when you take them out of the oven, but they’ll deflate and crisp up as they sit.

If you want to dress these up for a simcha, drizzle or dip in white chocolate and sprinkle with additional turbinado sugar.