Elizabeth's Gingersnaps

Whenever any of the family went to visit my ex MIL Elizabeth you could count on her having made a nice big tin of these delicious gingersnaps.   So thin and so crispy and so delicious.   

These are so good, so thin and so crisp  you could eat them like potato chips. I have done just that in the past when I could do such things.

I can remember one time she told me her mother used to make them with bacon fat or beef drippings.

And so I saved up my bacon fat for ages until I had enough to bake a recipe of them.  Hands down the  BEST gingersnaps I have ever eaten!

 

Of course the secret to their amazing crispness is rolling them as thin as you can.  Thinner than a quarter inch if possible.   It will be worth it. 

I know it seems fiddly and you think you are never going to run out of dough. All the effort is worth it. Truly. Trust me on this.



The thinner the cookie the crisper they are and the more moreish they are.  The more they snap when you bit into one.  

This does mean that you have to watch them very carefully when they are baking as they bake. Because of their thinness, they can burn in next to no time. So do keep a watchful eye.



The dough needs to be made the night before you bake them. It does make rather a lot (50 or 60) but they do freeze very well.   

I do hope that you will make the effort to make and bake these lovely biscuits.  Prepare yourself  to fall in love. You will fall in love at first . . .  crisp . . .  bite. I promise.

 

*Elizabeth's Gingersnaps*

Makes a LOT

(It's okay, they freeze)

Printable Recipe  

This is my ex MIL's recipe for gingersnaps and it was her mother's recipe.  These are the crispest, thinest, most deliciously moreish gingersnaps you would ever want to eat.  Plan ahead as the dough needs to chill overnight.   

350g of mild molasses (1 cup)

(Over here in the UK, I use equal amounts of golden syrup and dark treacle)

110g of white vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)

(White flora, Trex, or crisco)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger (dry ground)

1 tsp salt

280g of plain flour (2 cups)

Place the molasses and shortening in a saucepan and heat gently to melt the shortening.  Remove from the soft and sift in the baking soda.  Let cool, then add the ginger, salt and flour.  Stir well together.  Wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

When you are ready to bake them, preheat the oven to 200*C/425*F/ gas mark 6.

Roll the dough out very thin on a lightly floured surface.  The thinner you roll them the crisper they will be. Cut into rounds or squares using a sharp cookie cutter.  Place slightly apart on lightly greased baking sheets, or on parchment paper lined baking sheets.   Bake for only 2 1/2 minutes in the heated oven.  Watch these carefully as they will burn easily because they are so thin.  Cool on wire racks.

Repeat until you have rolled and baked all the cookies.

Store in an airtight container.

Note:  There is NO sugar in this recipe as they get all of their sweetness from the molasses.  

 

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