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.
NOTE: If you are a gingersnap lover, you can skip the chilling, rolling, and cutting. Simply mix up the dough and shape into balls for snaps. For chewy gingersnaps be sure to pull the cookies from the oven as soon as deep cracks appear, when the cracks still reveal a moist center. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet till firm enough to handle.