Ginger Snaps - from Gram LuVerne

It seems very appropriate to start an archive with a very traditional classic, since I love ginger and so does my Gram LuVerne, I thought the best one would be her recipe for Ginger Snaps. She got this recipe from her mother-in-law, my great-grandma Emilie Pierce, in 1941. There are no eggs in this recipe so the dough works a bit like shortbread, but dark molasses and quite a bit of ginger pack a great flavour punch and the aroma in my kitchen as they bake is heavenly. Gram sent me some of these a few weeks ago whem my mom came to visit, the flavour was rich and spicy, perfect for dunking in a cup of tea.

Pre-heat the oven to 350^F (176^C)

Combine in a mixer:

1 cup butter (or 1 cup margerine & 1 tbsp oil)

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup dark molasses

Once fully mixed, add in:

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 3tbsp boiling water

Sift together, then mix into the wet ingredients:

4 cups flour – 4 ½ to make a stiff dough for a cookie with a good snap!

2 tbsp of powdered ginger1 tsp each of cloves and cinnamon (but these are optional, Gram usually doesn’t use them and neither did I)

Roll the dough into round balls and press flat with the base of a cup dipped in sugar, Gram uses the bottom a small glass pitcher dipped sugar to make a pretty star design, I don’t own anything so fancy so used the bottom of a jam jar as it was the best I could find for some decorative effect that didn’t have a brand logo, country of origin mark or a recycle symbol. The dough can also be rolled out and cut into shapes for a very thin cookie or just dropped by the spoonful.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes

Then make a cup of tea and enjoy.