This Gingersnap Cookie Recipe produces the most chewy, soft cookies, and they're packed with warm spice and deep molasses flavor! They include a secret ingredient for even more flavor, and they're so easy to make!
1/2cupgranulated sugarplus 1/4 cup for rolling (use sparkle sugar for even more flair!)
1largeeggroom temperature
1/3cupmolasses
1tablespoonorange zestoptional
Instructions
Place the flour, baking soda, ginger, espresso powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Place the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in medium bowl and cream at medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Beat in egg on low speed until incorporated, then add the molasses and orange zest and beat till combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating on low just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill up to 2 hours or overnight.
Set the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the cookie dough sit out a bit until it's easier to scoop if it was chilled overnight. Using a 1 1/2" cookie scoop, scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls, then toss them in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar or sparkle sugar until well coated.
Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8-12 minutes, or until the edges become crisp, switching the pans between the top and bottom racks and rotating them halfway through during the baking time. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
Notes
Pro tip: Butter will soften much faster when it's cut butter into small chunks, and eggs come to room temperature faster when placed in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
Total time above includes 2 hours of chilling time, but feel free to chill the dough overnight. I've found that 2 hours is perfect and the dough is ready to scoop. If you chill it overnight, let it stand at room temperature until it's easier to scoop into balls. For thinner, crispier cookies with more spread, no chilling is necessary.
Baking time will vary, so start checking for doneness after 8 minutes. The longer they're in the oven, the crispier they'll be.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving idea: make 36 smaller cookies and use for ice cream sandwiches with eggnog ice cream for the holidays! Simply use 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and bake for about 8 minutes.