Better Than Chocolate

This recipe celebrates 13,000 hits for Mommadods' Blogarhythmz!

 

I have been a confirmed chocoholic my entire life.  Lately, however, I find that although I continue to crave chocolate, I derive less and less pleasure from it.  Instead, my palate loves spicy warm notes, like cinnamon, ginger, and cumin.  Unlike in my youth, when our freezer was always filled with ice cream flavors such as chocolate fudge and chocolate-chocolate chip, my freezer today is more likely to contain dulce de leche or pistachio ice cream.  I enjoy my chocolate as part of a duet, enjoying mocha chip or mint chip far more than plain chocolate.

So for this, my final Mommadods recipe, I have been asked to share these special gingersnaps.  These are incredibly easy to make (provided you have a well-stocked panty) and stay fresh for a couple of weeks in an airtight container—that is, if you can keep yourself from eating them all at once.

One important note:  the beauty of these cookies is its blend of spices.  If you haven’t purchased fresh spices is 10 years, you will not get the same flavor.   Use these cookies as an occasion to treat yourself to fresh jars of spices.

 

Ginger Snaps

2 cups all-purpose flour (I have also used white, unbleached, whole-wheat flour)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable shortening

¼ cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (you may use dark if you have it)

1 egg

¼ cup dark molasses

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

White, granulated sugar, for coating

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt) into a bowl and set aside.  Place shortening, butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy and sugar is well incorporated.  Add egg, molasses and orange zest and continue beating until just blended. 

At low speed, add flour mixture slowly and mix until incorporated.  Do not overmix.  Cover the bowl and rest in the refrigerator at least one hour.  (It is OK to leave the batter overnight.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat baking sheets with non-stick spray or a thin coat of butter.

Put granulated sugar on a small plate or in a bowl.   Put some water in another bowl to keep fingers moistened while working with the dough.  Using a small ice cream scoop (1 to 1 ¼ inch in diameter), portion the dough into balls and roll lightly in your hands.  Drop each ball into the sugar to coat.  Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake about 12 minutes until the cookies are golden and cracked on top, but do not allow them to brown at the edges.  They should remain soft.  Cool them on the baking sheet for one minute and then gently slide them onto wire racks to cool.  Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, hiding them before they disappear!