Snappy, crinkly gingersnap cookies made with jaggery are here just in time for Christmas! Make them as plain 'ol cookies that are perfectly chewy in the middle, or deep dish ooey gooey gingersnaps with a heaping scoop of ice cream on top!
Best part about fall and winter season? It's when everyone learns you can put spices in food! LOL. Juuuuust kidding. I love gingersnaps because 1. They're cookies. 2. Need I say more?
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Okay, I'll stop with the bad jokes. No but really, I generally don't like harder cookies. With gingersnaps, you get a cute crinkly cookie that's both chewy and crunchy at the same time.
ALSO. I hate ginger. I really, truly hate it. But man. Gingersnap cookies? I can't get enough of it! I love the mix of spices in the dang cookie! And I especially love dipping the cookie in a cup of chai.
What are gingersnaps?
Gingersnap cookies, as you may guess, have a few spices in them that make them absolutely incredible! This includes ginger, cloves, and cinnamon (sometimes nutmeg). Typically, gingersnaps use molasses but I used jaggery for this recipe instead.
You may be asking, what's the difference between molasses cookies, gingersnaps, and gingerbread?
Gingersnaps are deliciously chewy in the middle but have a satisfying snap when broken. These are not to be confused with gingerbread or molasses cookies, which are incredibly similar but not the same.
Molasses cookies are soft and chewy compared to gingersnaps. They also have less ginger than gingerbread and gingersnaps.
Gingerbread is baked for less amount of time as gingersnaps so it is softer. It's also often shaped into things like gingerbread men and gingerbread houses. Gingersnaps are baked longer so they snap when they are broken and get the crinkly effect.
What is Jaggery?
Jaggery is a sweetener, sometimes called the "superfood sweetener" because it's a popular replacement for refined sugar. It's a type of unrefined sugar typically made from palm or cane sugar. Most of the world's production of jaggery is in India, where it's commonly referred to as "gur."
Refined sugar, or white sugar, is what we see when molasses is separated and refined when pressing sugarcanes. Jaggery still retains the molasses content when pressed, which is what makes it "nutritious". I put nutritious in quotes because at the end of the day, it's still sugar. It's just better for you than refined sugar.
Why Jaggery and not Molasses?
I didn't even know what molasses was until March 2019 when I was searching for pie in preparation for pie day while consulting in Wilmington, Delaware. I ended up driving out to Amish country and picked up a shoofly pie and I was searching up what the heck molasses were.
Personally, we only had jaggery in my Indian household. A lot of desis are simply fond of the ingredient and a majority of immigrant parents don't know or don't keep molasses in the pantry. Molasses is not a commonly found ingredient in India. And truly, jaggery tastes sooo good I have to hold myself back from licking my fingers of it.
If you're like "girl, k i'm not convinced"... okay okay I get it! You can substitute the jaggery with the same amount of molasses.
How to make Gingersnap Cookies - Two Ways!
Something about gingersnap cookies desperately made me want a ton of them with ice cream when they're hot and fresh out of the oven, so I'm presenting you with two ways to make these - Gingersnap Cookies and a Deep Dish Gingersnap Cookie with ice cream.
Jaggery Gingersnap Cookies
This will be your basic gingersnap cookie that's thin, crinkly on the top, chewy in the middle and snappy when you break it.
- Beat the wet ingredients together. You'll need butter, sugar, egg, and jaggery, and tablespoon of hot water. Cream together the butter and sugar, and then beat the egg in. If you have granulated jaggery, you'll want to dissolve it in a tablespoon of hot water to form a syrup. Strain the syrup when adding it to the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients together. Whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. If you don't have ground cloves, nutmeg also works in the same amount. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine until a dough forms.
- Chill the dough. The dough is quite thick and needs to chill to prevent too much spreading.
- Roll the dough. Using a scale, measure out each ball of cookie dough into 1oz in size. Roll the dough into a ball between your hands and then roll it in granulated sugar.
- Bake. Bake 9 per half sheet tray at 375°F for about 11 minutes with plenty of space in between for spreading. They'll be golden brown and crinkly when they're done. Do not touch them hot out of the oven! They need time to set in the pan and crisp up.
Deep Dish Gingersnap Cookies with Ice Cream
I wanted an ooey gooey gingersnap cookie with vanilla ice cream SO BADLY and ASAP! No chilling for two hours involved! You'll need mini cocottes or ramekins. I only tested these with Le Creuset mini cocottes so if you use ramekins or cast irons, make sure they are oven safe and look for the physical signs that the cookies are done baking.
- Beat the wet ingredients together. You'll need butter, sugar, egg, and jaggery, and tablespoon of hot water. Cream together the butter and sugar, and then beat the egg in. If you have granulated jaggery, you'll want to dissolve it in a tablespoon of hot water to form a syrup. Strain the syrup when adding it to the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients together. Whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine until a dough forms.
- Bake. Measure out 4oz of cookie dough per cocotte and spread it evenly. Give it a healthy sprinkle of granulated sugar. I set my cocottes in a sheet tray for easy removal. Pop the sheet tray into the oven at 375°F for about 20 minutes. The top will be golden brown and a toothpick will come out clean when inserted into the middle when done baking. Bake for less time for a gooey center.
- Serve. The cookie will have risen quite a bit and promptly deflate out of the oven, creating the crinkles on the top. Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream and dig in immediately while it's still warm.
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.
How to freeze baked gingersnap cookies:
You can freeze gingersnap cookies before or after baking them. To freeze the cookies after they're baked, allow them to completely cool. Transfer to an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
How to freeze gingersnap cookie dough:
After the cookie dough chills according to the recipe below, roll the dough into balls. Chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator or freezer for an hour. Place the cookie dough in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. When you're ready to bake the cookies, allow them to thaw on the counter top for 30 minutes. Then continue with the recipe - rolling in granulated sugar and then baking as instructed.
Storing Deep Dish Gingersnap Cookies
This cookie does, of course, harden after a while in the cocotte so I recommend serving and eating immediately while it's still gooey. The recipe yields six, but if you'd like less deep dish cookies, you can bake them as regular gingersnap cookies at any time. Just follow the instructions above for storing the cookie dough.
More Cookie Recipes to try
Recipe
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Jaggery Gingersnap Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- 1½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup jaggery
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. In a small bowl, combine the jaggery with about a tablespoon of hot water. Mix it well until it's fully melted and syrupy. Beat the jaggery into the wet ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir together the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Cover and chill the dough for at least two hours in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll the dough into 1oz dough balls. Pour out the ½ cup of sugar into a bowl. Roll the dough balls and lightly coat them in granulated sugar. Place 6-9 cookies per tray, allowing for space to spread. Bake for about 11 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Allow the cookies to set for 15 minutes on the tray. Enjoy warm!
Deep Dish Gingersnap Cookies with Ice Cream (yields 6)
- Follow steps 1 and 2 above. You do not need to chill the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Measure out 4oz of cookie dough per cocotte and spread it across the bottom. Lightly sprinkle it with granulated sugar and pop the cocottes into the oven for 20 minutes. The cookies are done when it's golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Handle with care, using hot hands or oven mitts. Serve immediately with a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
- Jaggery comes in many forms, but it's easier to work with it in granulated or syrup form.
- When jaggery clumps together, much like brown sugar, it's incredibly difficult to get the syrup without stubborn clumps. If your jaggery is clumped, strain it before adding it into the wet ingredients.
Resham says
Great snack for the winter months! Loved the crisp on these!
Shweta says
Me too! Love the crisp!