I embrace all forms of gingerbread and ginger cookies. A thick slab of treacly English gingerbread, which, let’s be honest, is really a cake and not a bread? Yes. The thin, crisp, spicy, molasses-free Swedish pepparkakor? Yes, thanks! The American gingersnap, tender and chewy with cracks along the top? Yes, yes, yes.
I tend to play around with the spice amounts in my gingersnaps—even right now, I’m thinking about trying Chinese five spice next—but this is my template. I was first inspired to try adding ground black pepper to my gingersnaps when I saw Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Gingersnap recipe, and although I do love the hint of pepper and the way it complements the molasses and ginger, I have yet to be bold enough to try the full half-teaspoonful that her recipe calls for. Maybe soon!
Gingersnaps
makes 2-3 dozen
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons soy or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, cloves, or cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease or line with parchment paper two baking sheets. Spoon turbinado sugar into a shallow bowl and set aside.
Cream together oil, molasses, sugar, nondairy milk, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda, spices, and salt, and mix until flour mixture is incorporated. Dough will be sticky.
Roll into balls the size of large walnuts, and dip one side of the ball into the sugar, then place sugar-side up two inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
i love gingerbread cookies so much.
Mmm, I love gingersnaps! And your photo is so perfect and adorable. Makes me feel all warm inside. :)
Umm, yes. One of my fave holiday cookie recipes that I make is a chewy chocolate chip ginger cookie. Can’t wait to try this and those meltaways.
I love ginger cookies so much. I have an excellent recipe, veganized from the Tartine cookbook, that calls for a ton of black pepper too. I love them! I’ll definitely try out this recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for reading my mind. Just said I was going to have to make these. I but them on my break at my class every week. (today, in fact)
Oh yum. Gingersnaps are SO good.
hey just checking out fellow Mofo-ers! These looks so good after cinnamon ginger is my favourite!! I think i’ll feature them on my weekly round up tomorrow. :-)
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These came out fantastic! I’m going to try others in this cookie series as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Where are you supposed to add the regular sugar?? Its not in the direction parts so I accidentally left it out and.got a pepper tasting cookie!
Also are you supposed to flatten the cookies? Mine came out balls.
Thanks so much !
brit, i’m so sorry! i’ve corrected the recipe and added the sugar where it belongs.