It wouldn’t be the holidays without whipping up something that snaps. I think I’m going to avoid gingerbread men and women this year, and just go with an untraditional gingersnap made with love and TONS of ginger and chocolate. What’s so special about these cookies is the perfect balance of ginger and chocolate. One doesn’t over power the other. In reality, they completely complement each other and I was so pleased with how they came out. They were for the most part a complete experiment that could have gone terribly wrong, but ended up working out perfectly. I have a few little tricks up my sleeve for this take on ginger snaps in Day 5 of our 20 Days of Christmas Cookies. I am sure you will be just as intrigued as I was, and if you aren’t, don’t tell me. I’d rather keep believing you’re just as intrigued =).
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I honestly thought these cookies were going to come out a disaster. We have been pretty lucky here as of late with our Christmas cookies. We’ve had one mishap: yesterday with our Walnut Chocolate Drops, and it wasn’t even our fault. We blame the altitude. Sure we have had to make some adjustments to our recipes living 5000 ft above sea level. It really does affect baking. Raising oven temperatures, reducing and adding the amounts of sugar, baking soda and baking powder we put in things, but all in all we have been pretty successful.
Be careful when you are baking at a higher altitude!
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Anyway, I really didn’t think these were going to come out like I wanted them to. The dough was extremely sticky. Almost to sticky to handle, but I went with it anyway and TaDa! They were miraculous! So if you find that the dough is too sticky, just go with it…you might just be surprised at what you come up with.
It’s ok if the dough is sticky =)
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Soft and Chewy.
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The original reason I altered your traditional gingersnap recipe is because I just think that most of the time they are way to hard. You almost break your teeth biting into them! I wanted to soften them up a bit, but still wanted an itty bitty crunch on the outside, but not to crispy. These cookies are the perfect combination of the two. They are soft and chewy on the inside, but a bit crispier on the outside (which mostly comes from the added sugar they are rolled in). If you want a softer snap, this one is for you. Swoon. I was in heaven.
Just a little outside crunch really elevates this cookie.
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Love a good “snap.”
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Beware, I love ginger. I love fresh ginger. I love all things ginger. It’s an acquired taste that’s for sure. If you aren’t as obsessed with ginger as I am, I suggest toning down the amount of fresh ginger, or maybe even eliminating it completely and add a teaspoon or more of ground ginger (as in the spice). It’s not an overpowering taste, but it is gingery. So alter to your own wants and needs. I won’t be offended, I promise.
Ginger Ginger, who doesn’t absolutely love ginger?
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Add fresh ginger for an added pop of flavor.
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Another unique ingredient I added to this recipe was the lemon zest. These cookies need a kick, but be careful. You don’t want to overdo it, or you will get a lemon drop meets gingersnap type of cookie. You most certainly don’t want that, or maybe you do? Who knows…Be careful with the amount of zest you put in. If you are successful it addes a deeper flavor that really just elevates this cookie into it’s own little special category of what the heck is this?! I love it!
Add some lemon zest! You may just surprise yourself in how much depth of flavor it can bring to any dish!
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Yum yum!
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One more thing and I will let everyone get on with their lives. I used cocoa powder for my addition of chocolate. You could certainly use melted chocolate, but keep in mind that you will get a much moister cookie. You may want to add a touch more flour if you’re considering going this route.
Happy 20 days until Christmas everyone!
Enjoy!
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4 Responses
Ginger snaps and chocolate are two of my mom’s favorite things – I’ll definitely be making these for her. I’ll post a pic once I’ve made ’em.
So excited you are making these! Yes, definitely let us know how they come out and post a pic or two!
Those cookies look delicious! Is this recipe already modified for high altitude? If so, how should I adjust if I am not baking at high altitude?