Molasses Cookies/Ginger Snaps

Christmas Cookies on Hope's China

When I was growing up in NH my grandfather, "Gaga", lived right down the street from us. My grandmother Hope died when I was very young and Gaga had a housekeeper named Mrs. Dessert (honest!). Mrs. Dessert made the best cookies and kept the two cookie jars on the kitchen counter perpetually full of cookies, molasses on the left and Hermits on the right… or were the molasses on the right? My brother now has one of the cookie jars and we have the cabinet (the house was torn down to make way for Interstate 89) that hung above the cookie jars. Refurbished, it stores dishes in our dining room . This recipe for Ginger Snaps is attributed to Aunt Lou, Hope’s sister-in-law.

"Bring to a scald [I now use microwave]

1 c dark molasses

And stir in

1 t baking soda

[This is a fun part if making with children - they add the baking soda and it's almost like the "vocano exercise"!]


Pour while foaming over:

1 c sugar
1 egg
½ T [1 1/2 t] ginger
½ T cinnamon

Then add
1 T vinegar
Flour to roll quite stiff [about 3 cups]

[ I mix in food processor fitted with a metal blade until dough forms a stiff ball]

[I divide dough into three balls and place one on floured board to roll-out with rolling pin. Note all of the dough can be rollled at once or some can be saved in refrigerator/freezer for later use] Do not roll thin, cut in squares and bake."

These are the cookies I remember cut in ~2 ½” squares. I used this same recipe with Alexandra and Christopher and we did roll the dough thin and used cookie cutters: angels and stars for Christmas, owls and crescent moons for Halloween, pigs any time of the year. We also made gingermen and women using currents for eyes and buttons and making a "smile" with a small measuring spoon before putting cookies in the oven.

Bake at 425 degrees F (on oiled or non-stick cookie sheet) about 7 minutes for thin cookies, 8-10 minutes for thicker cookies or "squares".



Reviewed 5/14/17