This recipe is based on the one in Beranbaum, Rose Levy. 1998. Rose’s Christmas cookies. New York: Morrow., where it is called “Grandmother Schorr’s Moravian Spice Crisps”
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (I have had best results with Crisco)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses (like Grandma’s; not blackstrap)
Combine the dry ingredients – first 5. Cream shortening and sugar, then add molasses. This can be done in a mixer, food processor, or with a wooden spoon. Mix in the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough with no spots of dry flour. Gather the dough into a ball, and either wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a small bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rest at cool room temperature at least overnight or up to 3 days.
Lightly grease several cookie sheets and heat the oven to 325° Divide the dough in half. Roll out the first half as thin as possible – I like to use a floured pastry cloth. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters – about 2 1/2 in. to 3 in. is a good size.
Arrange the cookies on sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Be careful because if they burn they will be bitter. They will still be a bit soft when you take them out of the oven but with crisp as they cool.
Collect the scraps and re-roll and cut once.
For the gingersnaps, gather the remaining dough into a ball or a log, and divide into small cookies – scant tablespoons. Brush the tops with water, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake on the same trays until deeply cracked.
** If you are a gingersnap lover, you can skip the rolling and cutting and shape all the dough into balls for snaps.