When you are in the mood for a nice spicy gingerbread type cookie- these should do the trick. I made this batch for Winter Solstice this week so that’s why they’re decorated as suns. Cut them out in whatever shape you desire and decorate or sprinkle with sliced almonds. They are a touch of the holiday spirit for a cookie jar in my opinion.

 

Holiday Ginger Snaps

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons ground Ceylon Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound butter, cut into pieces
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Frosting (recipe follows) to decorate or sliced almonds

Place the sugar, molasses, spices-except the pepper- and 1/3 cup of water into a small saucepan. Simmer stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the butter and the pepper. Stir until melted.  Cool to room temperature.  Combine the flour with the baking soda and gradually stir in until combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface  and  knead a few times until smooth and the flour is evenly incorporated. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill for at least an hour or up to a week.

Preheat the oven to 350F and roll out just a small portion of the dough at a time to 1/8″ thick (roll the dough thinner for very crisp cookies or thicker for softer cookies), cut into the shapes you desire with a cookie cutter. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets- anywhere from 6-13 minutes depending on how thick you have rolled the dough and how large you have cut the cookies. Watch them after the minimum time and remove when slightly brown and slightly firm to the touch. Let cool a minute on the pans, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes several dozen -again depending on size. Frost with a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip.

Frosting

• 2 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• about 4 cups of powdered sugar

Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. Stir in the vanilla and the powdered sugar to make a medium stiff frosting. Frost as desired.

Happy Holidays!

xo