Gingersnap Cookies

Skip the grocery store box of cookies and make your own gingersnap cookies fresh in your own kitchen! They’re twice as good and just as snappy!

My slow cooker sauerbraten recipe calls for gingersnap cookies to make the lovely and thick, pungent gravy. 

Nothing else matches the flavor of that gravy and I thought that the addition of my own homemade gingersnaps would really take it one step closer to heaven.

It seems I can’t do any holiday baking without adding a little pinch of one of my favorite spices, Nutmeg!

I even named one of our dogs Nutmeg because I love it so much.  I’ll give you a quick peek at her before we go on to the recipe. LOL

GINGERSNAP COOKIES       {PRINT THIS RECIPE}

(makes approximately 30 cookies)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for garnish, optional)
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

-In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
-Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Blend.
-In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
-Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, in small batches, until all is incorporated.
-Chill the dough at least 30 minutes before moving onto the next steps.
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
-Once chilled, roll the dough into golf ball-sized pieces and then roll them in some additional sugar to coat each ball.  **Note – If you’re using the cookies for sauerbraten, omit this step**  I did half and half.
-Place the cookie balls evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
-Bake for approximately 15-17 minutes (slightly less if you like your cookies a little softer), until they’ve flattened considerably and are crispy in texture (hence the word ginger”snap”).
-Cook on a baking rack.

For dipping, I just used some Cool Whip and a little red and green sanding sugar to make it pretty.

I also used some canned pumpkin mixed with some Cool Whip and a little brown sugar (not shown) to make a dipper that we used one night when we had company over.

These cookies certainly do not need the addition of a “dipper” as their flavor can certainly stand on their own.

However, for something a little different I thought I’d give it a go.  Think about dipping these cookies in a little Nutella too…Now THAT would be completely over-the-top delicious!!!