Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
Have you made a holiday baking list, yet? Maybe you’ve already beat us to the kitchen and have been whipping up Christmas treats as soon as the turkey leftovers were safely tucked away in the fridge. Each year, we get way overaggressive with our baking list and never end up coming close to finishing everything on it, but we just get so excited about Christmas cookies and candy! One cookie that has never gained much footing for us around the holidays is gingersnaps. We know so many people love them, but if you haven’t noticed, we are big-time chewy cookie girl. Crisp, crisp cookies have never done much for us, with the exception of Italian cookies like pizelle and biscotti. We do love the flavors of gingersnap cookies, though, so we set about making a version that was soft and chewy. We suppose that negates the “snap” in gingersnap, but wow, are these rich!
These are so good, in fact, that our Chief Culinary Consultant claimed that they landed a spot in his top three favorite cookies we've ever made. Ever. That’s saying something, considering the sheer volume of cookies that come out of our kitchen. These are packed with all of the usual suspects – molasses, ginger, and some additional spices – and baked up nice and soft.
We happened to churn a fresh batch of vanilla bean ice cream a couple of days after making these cookies, and while it was churning, our Chief Culinary Consultant suggested making an ice cream sandwich with these cookies. Pure genius!
What’s top on your holiday baking list this year?
One year ago: From-scratch Peppermint Marshmallows
Two years ago: Oreo Cheesecake Truffles
Four years ago: Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
Yield: 36 cookies A soft and chewy version of gingersnap cookies.- 3½ cups (437.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons (2.25 teaspoons) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoons (1.25 teaspoons) cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons (1.25 teaspoons) ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (168.5 ml) molasses
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the molasses and continue to mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix to thoroughly combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl, reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, giving it a final stir with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are set, but centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. These cookies can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 36 cookies
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 3½ cups ( 437.5 g ) all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons ( 2.25 teaspoons ) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoons ( 1.25 teaspoons ) cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons ( 1.25 teaspoons ) ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup ( 227 g ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup ( 200 g ) granulated sugar
- ½ cup ( 168.5 ml ) molasses
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the molasses and continue to mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix to thoroughly combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl, reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, giving it a final stir with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are set, but centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. These cookies can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
