Ginger Snaps are always a favourite at this time of year, and baking a variety of Christmas cookies is a joy of the season (as perhaps suggested by my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies last year). As part of it, I posted a Ginger Snap recipe (on the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me one ginger snap). They, of course, had to be on the roster for this year, but I wanted to tweak them a little, mainly with the addition of pieces of candied ginger and orange peel, and by increasing the powdered ginger. I didn't have quite enough molasses, so the 1/4 c of molasses was completed with some honey).
Ingredients:
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
3/4 c butter
1 c sugar + 1/4 c to roll the cookies in after
1 egg
1/4 c molasses and honey (about 2 tbsp honey, the rest molasses)
2 tsp grated tangerine peel
2 tsp dried orange peel bits, briefly candied with the ginger
1) Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses (with honey) and mix until smooth. Add tangerine zest, orange peel and candied ginger.
2) Gradually add the dry ingredients, and stir to form cookie dough. Chill for 30 minutes at least.
3) Roll the dough into marble-sized balls and then roll in the remaining 1/4c of sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet with at least double the size of the marbles between the balls of dough - these spread! Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
I love these! The smell of ginger snaps baking is so reminiscent of Christmas time for me, and of baking as a family growing up, with friends, and now with my own little family. I really enjoyed this year's tweaks and hope you do too!