Amish Ginger Cookies take me back to my Childhood
Soft and chewy Amish gingersnap cookies are an amazing mixture of sugar, flour, molasses, and spices.
There's so much delight in every bite, and they take me back to my childhood, to Sunday church dinner. There was an older lady in church that would frequently make these and bring them for Sunday dinner.
And I was always happy to see them on the platter because they were one of my favorites. So to me, these were considered as Amish church cookies.
Old-fashioned Gingersnap Cookies
You may think of gingersnap cookies as being crispy, crunchy cookies with a snap to them. And if you like them like that, you can bake them longer to make them crispy.
But I prefer soft and chewy cookies. I don't mind a bit of a crispy edge, but I like the centers nice and soft.
And if you bake these molasses cookies for only about eight minutes, they should stay soft.
Sometimes my mom put a piece or two of bread into the container with the cookies to help keep them soft. But my cookies usually stay soft without any bread.
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Molasses
There are lots of different brands of molasses to choose from, and they vary in taste. Some brands have a stronger flavor, are more bitter, etc.
I prefer mild-tasting molasses. And I would not recommend using blackstrap molasses for baking.
Mild-flavored Brer rabbit molasses is good for cookies. Although I tend to use whatever I have on hand. And sometimes I add a bit of light syrup to produce a milder flavor.
King syrup is technically syrup and not molasses. But I like to use it for baking shoofly pies, etc. And sometimes I'll use it for cookies as well.
Golden Barrel baking molasses is another one of my favorites.
How to make Amish Molasses Cookies:
I use my kitchen aid mixer for everything, but you can use whatever mixer you have. (Most of the Amish obviously mix the batter by hand.)
To make these molasses ginger crinkle cookies, mix the oil and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined, scraping sides and bottom to get it all incorporated.
Now you can use a cookie scoop or your hands to make balls.
I dipped some of mine into a bowl of sugar before baking, for extra sparkle. It makes them look neat. But, if you prefer, you can bake them without.
Place the dough balls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees.
Gingersnap Cookies with Fresh Ginger
I discovered that you can use raw ginger instead of ground ginger to make these Amish gingersnap cookies.
After I already had some ingredients mixed, I made the sad discovery that I was out of ground ginger.
So I googled it to see if I could use raw ginger and sure enough. You need to use more of it, but I zested ginger root into my batter, and you can't tell the difference.
Amish Ginger Christmas Cookies
I love making these ginger cookies for Christmas as they are a wonderful and tasty addition to cookie platters.
But I like to create festive-looking Christmas cookies, so I dip my Amish ginger cookies halfways into melted white chocolate.
Not only does it make them look lovely, but it also adds great flavor.
After the cookies are cooled, melt some white chocolate. (I recommend using a small, deep dish since you want the chocolate deep enough to dip the cookies into.)
Dip half of each cookie into the white chocolate and put on some sprinkles, to create festive Christmas cookies.
Place the cookies onto parchment paper to dry.
Can I Freeze Gingersnap Cookies?
Yes you can freeze these soft gingersnap cookies. I always freeze any cookies that we won't eat within about two or three days.
As soon as they are cool, place the cookies into an airtight container. Put a piece of parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together.
And you can freeze them for up to several months. Thaw and enjoy your fresh- tasting Amish ginger snap cookies.
More Amish Cookie Recipes...
Amish Oatmeal Whoopie Pie Recipe
Soft and Chewy Amish Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. oil I use canola oil, but you can use whatever you prefer for baking
- 2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. light or Brer Rabbit molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 - 4 c. flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix sugar and oil in a mixing bowl. Add molasses and eggs, mix well.1/2 c. oil, 1/2 c. light or Brer Rabbit molasses, 2 large eggs, 2 c. sugar
- Add remaining ingredients, and mix until everything is well incorporated. I tend to go with the lesser amount of flour because I don't like fat cookies.4 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, 3 1/2 - 4 c. flour
- Roll into balls and dip them into a bowl of sugar, if desired.
- Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for about 8 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container and freeze any cookies that you won't eat within a couple of days.
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