Avi's Gingersnaps

Submitted by Kishka

"Ok, technically, this is not my sister Avi's original recipe - it comes from the Fannie Farmer cookbook. But she tweaked it by adding the chopped crystallized ginger (and eliminated the sugar coating) which elevates this cookie from good to the kind people ask you the recipe for. Careful, these are highly addictive!"

 

• Ready In: 32mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 40 cookies

ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup vegetable shortening (chilled, preferably)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup crystallized ginger, very finely chopped

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar.
3. Add the egg an beat until light and fluffy, then add molasses and stir to combine.
4. Toss together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon, then add to the first mixture, beating until smooth and well blended. Stir in crystallized ginger until incorporated into the dough.
5. Gather up dough by the approximate tablespoonful and roll into a ball in your hand (you may need to flour your hand periodically to keep the dough from sticking). Place ball onto the baking sheet and, using the pads of your index and middle finger, gently press the cookie down.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies have spread.
7. Remove from the sheets and cool on paper towels.