Gingersnap Cookie Recipe

Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory ingredient and is also helpful in reducing nausea. Click here to read more about ginger (includes health benefits, how to select/store, tips for preparing and cooking).

Joshua and I use ginger regularly in our meals. Rarely does a day go by without ginger in our food! Below are some of the ways we've learned to use ginger in our cooking:

• Grate fresh ginger (after peeling) over cooked tofu, vegetables, or soba noodles
• Use sliced or chopped ginger in stir-fries
• Rub onto meat before grilling (helps to tenderize and adds flavor)
• Steep a slice of fresh ginger in your tea

What to do when hankering for a sweet treat? Make your own - that way you know exactly what goes into them! While Joshua is definitely the Executive Chef for this household. I do my best to be a good Sous-Chef and also enjoy making simple recipes with not too much going on at once. (It's the truth!)

Without further adieu, here's my Gingersnap Cookie Recipe -- an adapted/more healthy version of a recipe I found on the web:

TIP #1: If you have a mixer, I highly suggest using it. This dough is strong stuff!

1.5 sticks softened organic unsalted butter (-or- 1 stick butter + 1/4 C applesauce) Thanks, Sarah!

1 C sucanat (whole cane sugar)

1/4 C dark molasses

1 egg

-Blend these ingredients together. Then add:

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Hand-shaped dough balls.
Before the handy scoop arrived!

1/4 tsp salt

-Blend together. Then add:

2 3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour (if using applesauce alternative above, use 3 C flour)

1 tsp baking soda

-Blend together.

Form into dough balls. ~ I use a 1.5 Tbsp (medium) OXO Good Grips scoop to form the cookies so their sizing (and cooking time) is uniform. 

TIP #2: Line cooking sheets with parchment paper. The cookies won't stick and it makes for an easy clean-up.

TIP #3: For something a little extra, you can add ginger pieces on top of the cookies. Buy candied ginger, rinse off the sugar it's coated in, and chop up the amount you'd like to use. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the pieces so they don't stick to one another. This makes for a nice touch (and is what you see in the picture.)

YUM!

Bake at 375 degrees. ~ When using the scoop above, baking time is 13-15 minutes. If you use a tablespoon sized lump of dough, baking time is 8-12 minutes. This is at altitude, too, so might vary depending on where you live. Watch them; the longer you bake them, they'll be harder the longer you cook them.

Enjoy! I bet you can't have just one...