This smell of my mom’s soft gingersnaps baking in the oven often greeted me when I got home from school during the winter. They were my favorite cookie growing up, and Mom knew just how excited I’d get right before I ate one, so she baked them often. Sometimes she’d wait for me to begin baking, and I got to roll the dough in the sugar… my favorite part! They’re undeniably tender, chewy, and are strongly spiced with ginger, molasses, cinnamon, and cloves. To get those iconic crinkles on top, be sure to press each cookie down gently with your fingers after you take them out of the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening
- 10.33 cups (165 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (85 g) dark molasses
- 1 egg
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger together in a medium bowl until combined.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening and 1 cup of the granulated sugar together in a large bowl on medium speed until creamed—about 2–3 minutes. Add the molasses and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients using your mixer on low speed until combined. Do not overmix. The dough will be very thick and crumbly.
- Pour the remaining 1∕ 3 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Roll the dough into balls— about 1½ tablespoons of dough for each ball. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will help it come together in a ball. Roll each ball into the sugar. Place 2 in apart onto cookie sheets and bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies will have spread only slightly, so press each cookie down gently with your fingertips to obtain the crinkled tops.
- Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days (they won’t last that long!).
