If you are looking for another cookie to add to your Christmas baking repertoire this year, let me humbly suggest that you give these iced gingersnaps a try. Imagine a spicy, slightly chewy — as long as you don’t overbake them — ginger cookie with a little extra sweetness and textural interest from a classic vanilla icing. Now, how can you say no to that?
Not only are these iced cookies delicious, but you will have such fun decorating them. Try spirals, zig-zags, snowflakes and even a Santa face. This is a wonderful project to do as a family.
These gingersnaps, which are a variation on the traditional Swedish pepparkakor, are what my grandmother would have called an icebox cookie. You make the dough one day, refrigerate it overnight and bake the cookies the next day. I love recipes like this because they split the work up over two days, which if you are doing your holiday baking in the evenings after you come home from work and make dinner, is a lifesaver.
I highly recommend using light-colored baking sheets for these cookies. For years, my mother’s holiday cookies kept coming out too dark, even though she watched them very carefully. One year, I suggested that she replace her cookie sheets and sure enough, the cookies stopped burning.
Why do light-colored baking sheets make a difference? Darker materials and black pans typically absorb and radiate more heat. This is great when you want crispy edges on your baked goods, like pizza or roasted vegetables. But for cakes and cookies, when you want a gentler heat, stick with lighter pans. This keeps your baked goods from browning too quickly on the edges before they’re thoroughly cooked.
The recipe also is egg-free, which makes it great for vegan baking, so long as you use something other than butter, or people with egg allergies.
What cookies will you be baking this holiday season? Any special family recipes?
Ingredients
- 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light molasses
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 TB ground ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TB milk
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer using the paddle attachment.
- Add molasses.
- Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and gradually blend in to the butter-sugar mixture.
- Divide dough in half -- it will be stiff.
- Roll each half into logs approximately 3 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in waxed paper and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Slice chilled dough into cookies approximately 1/4 inch thick and place on an ungreased, light-colored baking sheet. You should have between 16 and 20 cookies to a sheet depending on size.
- Bake 8-10 minutes at 350. Watch carefully for they will burn!
- Cool cookies completely before icing.
- To make icing, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk in a medium bowl. It should be fairly stiff but pipable.
- Fill a piping bag or a plastic big with the corner cut off with icing.
- Pipe designs onto cookies. Allow icing to harden completely before storing.
