Gingersnap Cookies

You guys. Get excited. These are the cookies I was raving about on Instagram last week!

It’s funny; I can remember being a little kid and loving the scent of baked gingerbread. But when it came to the taste? I was not a fan.

I’m not sure if it’s the sign of a developed palette, or something that happens when you settle firmly into adulthood (like fatigue, pulling out you back, etc.), but I am a gingerbread SUPER FAN now.

It’s all I can think about when the month of December hits, and I crave it long into January and February. This recipe in particular is SO simple (everything gets dumped in one bowl!) and SO delicious (all the spices!), that I have a feeling I’ll be making it well into the new year.

Gingersnaps

adapted from The Beach House Kitchen

• Yield: 2 dozen cookies

• Prep Time: 7 minutes, plus overnight resting

• Cook Time: 15-17 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg room temperature

• ¼ cup unsulphered molasses

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. ground ginger

• ½ tsp. ground cloves

• 1/8 tsp. cayenne

For Decorating:

• Green and red sugar crystals, mixed in a small bowl

Directions for Batter:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat oil, sugar, and egg until fluffy. Add the molasses and mix until combined. Turn the mixer off and add all dry ingredients. Turn the mixer back on and mix until combined, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.

Directions for Baking:

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. Roll dough into balls, about 1 ½ tablespoons each, and dip tops and sides in sugar. Place them on baking trays lined with silpats or parchment, spacing them 2 inches apart, and bake 12-15 minutes, until tops are golden and cracked. Allow cookies to rest on the sheet pan until set, then remove to a wire rack to cool.