Soft Gingersnap Cookies

One of our favorite cookies to make and eat are ginger cookies. We have been making these cookies for over 40 years. When you boil sugar cane juice or sugar beet juice three times, you get a dark, sticky syrup called molasses.  Blackstrap molasses contains iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and selenium. It may have started out as sugar cane, but cooking it down produces a more nutritional product with very little sugar left.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. shortening (or use 3/4 c. shortening and 3/4 c. butter)
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c. blackstrap molasses
5 c. flour
3 tsp. soda
1/2 t. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
Granulated white sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. 

Cream shortening and/or butter and brown sugar well until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and molasses, beating well to combine.

Turn the mixer to low. Add the soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.

Mix in the flour until thoroughly combined.

You can begin to roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls at this time, and then roll them in granulated white sugar. However, the dough is usually too soft and will stick to your hands a lot. I often cover the bowl and refrigerate for several hours until the dough firms, but does not become hard. If it becomes hard, just leave out on the countertop for a little bit and it will soften.

Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 12 minutes depending on how hot your oven is. When the balls flatten and are lightly browned with cracks on the top, they should be done. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for about one minute then remove the cookies to cool on wire racks.