It might be January, but our Baked Sunday Mornings group is still baking from the holiday baking section of Baked Occasions titled "12 Days of Cookies." The recipe for "Gingersnaps with Lemon Sugar" is definitely one of the quicker and easier ones in the book; it doesn't require any waiting or chilling time, and you don't even need a mixer.
To make this dough, all you do is combine sugar and all of the wet ingredients (canola oil, egg, egg yolk, and molasses) in one bowl; combine all of the remaining dry ingredients (flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt) in another; and add the dry ingredients to the wet. The recipe says to use your hands to mix the dough, but I used a spatula. You scoop the dough into balls, roll them in lemon sugar (granulated sugar rubbed together with lemon zest), and bake.
I have made this recipe before because I tested it before Baked Occasions was published. But even though the recipe I tested is identical to the version that's in the cookbook, the dough came out differently this time around. The only explanation I can come up with for the disparity is the fact that the recipe I tested had only volume measurements for the dry ingredients, while the cookbook version also has metric weights -- and I used the weights this time, since those are always easier and more consistent.
The first time I made the dough it was nice and firm; I scooped it into balls and they remained in neat spheres while I rolled them in lemon sugar and placed them on the baking sheet. This time, my dough was soft and oily -- it became misshapen when I rolled it in the sugar and it drooped into a flatter (but still round) puck after I placed the cookies on the baking sheet. Fortunately, they still came out perfectly round after baking.
In the cookbook photo, it looks like the lemon sugar is distributed evenly over the tops of the the cookies, but both times I have made this recipe the lemon sugar ended up in clumps. This is because the lemon sugar was damp and clumpy to begin with, and also because the cookie spreads quite a bit during baking and cracks form on the top, causing the sugar to become balkanized.
This is a terrific cookie. It has a crisp exterior, firm and super chewy interior, and a sweet finish from the lemon sugar on top. The dough might have come out differently in my two experiences with this recipe, but both times I ended up with cookies that were delicious.
Recipe: "Gingersnaps with Lemon Sugar" from Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, recipe available here at Baked Sunday Mornings.
Previous Posts:
To make this dough, all you do is combine sugar and all of the wet ingredients (canola oil, egg, egg yolk, and molasses) in one bowl; combine all of the remaining dry ingredients (flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt) in another; and add the dry ingredients to the wet. The recipe says to use your hands to mix the dough, but I used a spatula. You scoop the dough into balls, roll them in lemon sugar (granulated sugar rubbed together with lemon zest), and bake.
The first time I made the dough it was nice and firm; I scooped it into balls and they remained in neat spheres while I rolled them in lemon sugar and placed them on the baking sheet. This time, my dough was soft and oily -- it became misshapen when I rolled it in the sugar and it drooped into a flatter (but still round) puck after I placed the cookies on the baking sheet. Fortunately, they still came out perfectly round after baking.
In the cookbook photo, it looks like the lemon sugar is distributed evenly over the tops of the the cookies, but both times I have made this recipe the lemon sugar ended up in clumps. This is because the lemon sugar was damp and clumpy to begin with, and also because the cookie spreads quite a bit during baking and cracks form on the top, causing the sugar to become balkanized.
This is a terrific cookie. It has a crisp exterior, firm and super chewy interior, and a sweet finish from the lemon sugar on top. The dough might have come out differently in my two experiences with this recipe, but both times I ended up with cookies that were delicious.
Recipe: "Gingersnaps with Lemon Sugar" from Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, recipe available here at Baked Sunday Mornings.
Previous Posts:
- "The Means to a Delicious End: Gingersnaps and Sweet Potato Tart," December 18, 2014.
- "Cracks that Shine and Sparkle: Ginger Cracks," May 24, 2013.
- "Baked Sunday Mornings: Joe Froggers," October 21, 2012.
- "This Cookie Can't Be Too Thin or Too Rich: Milk's Molasses Cookies," February 5, 2012.
- "The Not-So-Crispy Crispy Gingersnap Cookie," June 15, 2010.
Comments
I think the dough could handle more flour, and I agree that volume vs. weight is probably why your test turned out different.