*blink blink* Well, everything is where I left it. That’s good. It’s been a (long) while. There’s been a lot going on, including having been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And maybe I’ll share at some point all the stuff behind my unintended hiatus. 

But for now, it’s pre-holiday kitchen season, and I’ve begun, as I often do, with something gingerbread (like this gingersnap biscotti).

I’ve often made softer ginger cookies. Or even cupcakes, to ease into the mood. This year it’s a crisp gingersnap. They aren’t too sweet, and are a nice cookie to nibble after supper, or at mid-afternoon. They are perfect for dunking in coffee. Or tea. Or hot cocoa.

I keep fresh ginger in the freezer and grate it with a microplane as needed. It doesn’t even need to be peeled. It just goes straight in with the butter and mixes in perfectly.

In testing this recipe, I came to only dip the tops in sugar. I found that the sugar crusted bottoms tended to burn before the cookies got properly crisp.

Crisp Gingersnaps

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• another 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350F

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and dry spices in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using electric beaters, cream the butter, grated ginger and sugar until very light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the egg and continue to beat until smooth.

Lower the speed and beat in half the dry ingredients, followed by the molasses. Scrape the bowl and beater and beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to finish incorporating anything left at the bottom of the bowl.

Using a small disher, scoop out 1-inch balls of dough. Roll them and flatten each slightly. Dip the tops into the sugar and place them on a lined cookie sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between them to allow them to spread.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until they flatten slightly and the tops are starting to crackle. Cool for a few minutes on the tray to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack.

Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment in a tightly sealed container, or the freezer.

Makes about 36 cookies.