Gingersnaps

One thing you should know about me right now is that I hate, I mean HATE hard, crunchy cookies. I think they are the most disgusting thing ever. Why would I want to eat something that is so hard I'm more focused on chewing than I am tasting and enjoying the flavor? If you're with me, raise your hand. I promise I will always, ALWAYS give you the best fluffy cookie recipes.

With that in mind, how many of you have a gingersnap recipe that the cookies end up being hard? Gingersnaps in my opinion should never, and I mean NEVER be hard. This recipe is one that my grandma found and it is the best gingersnap cookie of all time. Although the cookie dough is disgusting, the cookies are phenomenal. Speaking of disgusting cookie dough, I have a theory: If the cookie dough isn't the best tasting, the baked cookies will be amazing; if the cookie dough is really good, then most likely your baked cookies won't be very good. Yes, I am aware that if I eat raw cookie dough I have a chance at getting salmonella. Folks, I'm a FACS teacher, I know these things. I always tell my students that as long as they are aware of the consequences then they can eat their little hearts out of the cookie dough as long as I see one baked cookie. BUT back to my theory, I challenge you to try it - if you can prove me wrong, you are the Star Baker.

Okay, sorry little side note, back to the gingersnaps. I love making these cookies two times of the year - Christmas and Spring. You literally cannot do Christmas without gingersnaps, am I right, or am I right? Then I make them in the spring. I make them at this time of the year because it's still a little chilly out and I'm usually stuck on a tractor. I have fond memories of racing against the clock to put a new sprinkler packages on pivots before water comes on. We would work round the clock and through meals. My mom would bring us lunch out and in the lunch would be thawing gingersnaps. They would be thawing because she would make a big batch of them and freeze them to have throughout the summer. They stay soft the whole time. I have never had a hard gingersnap with this recipe...unless you leave the bag open overnight. Anyways, the recipe is below! You can enjoy them right away, or you can freeze them up to 6 months and enjoy them on picnics or tractor rides.

Ingredients:

- 1 c. Butter

- 1 c. Sugar + 1/2 c. to roll balls in before baking

- 1 Egg

- 1 c. Molasses

- 1/2 c. Applesauce

- 1/3 c. Milk (IF NO APPLESAUCE)

- 4 c. Flour

- 1 tsp. Baking Soda

- 1/2 tsp. Salt

- 1 TBS. Ginger

- 1 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together.

2. Add the egg and molasses to the butter and sugar and mix together.

3. Sift dry ingredients together, then add into the creamed mixture until well combined.

4. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or over night.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Roll dough into 2 TBS size balls and roll in sugar then place on a cooking sheet.

7. Bake for 10 minutes.

8. Place on cooling rack to cool.

9. Bag cookies in freezer bags and place in freezer. Freshness lasts up to 6 months.

*Makes 6 Dozen