Dorie’s Princeton Gingersnap Cookies

If these cookies were in a game of Truth or Dare they would invariably choose DARE. Every time. No hesitation. These cookies are bold enough, unflappable really… ready to go streaking through the quad.  Life of the party. You know.  These cookies are super casual like that. 

Did you ever play Truth or Dare? Good grief what a nightmare game for an introverted, 22 year old college freshmen girl who lived off campus and was just trying to make some new friends.  Me.  Just me? I choose neither truth nor dare and excuse me, I have to go to work now, because I have a real life job being rude to people at the Cheesecake Factory.  I’m having none of this. 

Cookies though!  We all need unflappable cookies.  These be them! 

These ginger gems come from this year’s new cookbook by Dorie Greenspan, baker hero to us all.  

Dorie’s Cookies is extensive and colorful and solid as a rock.  So much cookie inspiration! 

Here’s where we start:  loads of ground ginger, clove, and cinnamon spice, molasses and butter, an egg, sugar, and flour.  The usual suspects, with a lot of spice. 

We’re using two kinds of ginger as Dorie dictates.  

Fresh ginger that’s peeled and minced, combined with finely chopped candied ginger.  These will add a kick of mega ginger spice.  

I’ve never made cookie dough in a food processor before, but I tend to follow the directions when Dorie dictates. 

So! Into the bowl of a food processor with softened butter and granulated sugar. 

(You could certainly also bring this dough together with a stand mixer, set of electric hand beaters, or a bowl and wooden spoon.  The resulting dough will have larger chunks of fresh and candied ginger so keep that in mind when chopping them.)

Molasses is added to the butter and sugar and the mixture is pulsed to combine and fluff.  

In with the two types of ginger and the egg.  

Vanilla and salt and pulse to combine well.  

The mixture will become more pale as you pulse it in the food processor, that’s right!

Spices are mixed into the dry ingredients. 

The dry ingredients are added to the food processor and the dough will begin to take shape as it’s pulsed.

I stop the mixture, remove the blade and finish incorporating with a spatula. 

Wrapped in plastic or waxed paper and set to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Overnight: also fine.  Freezer: for weeks if that’s you thing (but thaw before baking).

The chilled dough is scooped into heaping tablespoon balls, rolled in coarse sugar, and baked atop parchment.

Two cookie baker tool, must haves:  this cookie scoop and plenty of parchment paper. 

Baked to flat and crackled.

Here’s what’s great! These cookies are everything you want them to be: crisp on the edges, soft through the center, crunchy with sugar, spiced for the holiday and just slightly spicy from ginger. They’re exactly right.  But Dorie knew. She knows. She also probably doesn’t mess around with Truth or Dare, so…. 

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