Crispy Ginger Snaps

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

12 Tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup molasses

½ cups sugar in a shallow bowl, for finishing

2 or 3 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans covered with parchment or foil

Instructions

Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Combine the flour, backing soda, salt, and spices in a bowl; stir well to mix. In the bowls of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together on medium speed the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until very fluffy and whitened. Add the egg and continue beating until smooth. Lower the speed and add in half the dry ingredients, then the molasses. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough.

Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out 1-inch diameter pieces of dough. Roll into balls between the palms of your hands, then roll in the sugar. Place the balls of dough on the prepared pans leaving about 3 inches all around each to allow for spreading.

Bake the cookies for about 15-20 minutes or until they have spread, the surface has cracked, and they are firm to the touch. Slide the papers from the pans to racks. Store the cookies between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, in a tin, or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Makes about 40 cookies.