Gingersnap Chocolate Chip Cookies

Apparently there has been a huge run on molasses (hello, holiday bakers!) in my town because up until today, all three grocery stores have been out of molasses for nearly the entire month of December. Finally Target restocked (insert praise hands!) and I could make my mom’s recipe for Gingersnap Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I don’t make a lot of Christmas cookies. On Teacher Man’s side of the family, my sister-in-law makes the mother load of all the awesome Christmas cookies so there’s no need for me to add to an already ginormous stash. And my mom makes her usual array of amazing holiday treats, as well. So … that leaves me to other baking endeavors, namely lefse, Kringla (a traditional Scandinavian cookie), sweet rolls, and a couple of cookie options. 

This year, I remembered I have a recipe for my mom’s gingersnap chocolate chip cookies and these seemed just the ticket today. I really don’t like putzing around with a complicated Christmas cookie – frosted cut-outs are about as fussy I get – but these are special without being over-the-top exhausting or time-consuming to make. 

Plus, the gingerbread cookie reminds me of my Grandma Anderson. When she had gingersnap cookies in the house, my cousin and I would eat like 85 of them in one afternoon. Give or take. 😉 

Just add chocolate and … perfection!

And now I’m looking at the same problem at my house. I don’t want to stop with just one cookie – these are too good. I’ve decided, in fact, that these will only enhance my holiday spirit as I attempt to get some wrapping done tonight. (Have I mentioned that wrapping is definitely not my jam. Seriously. I’m terrible at it.)

Hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to get through all the wrapping!

Gingersnap Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until smoothly blended, about 1-2 minutes. Add egg and molasses and mix until blended. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in a couple of batches, mixing just to incorporate. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Roll a rounded tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands into a 1 1/4 inch ball. Roll ball in a small dish filled with granulated sugar and place on baking sheet about two inches apart. Put in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Bake cookies until they are firm on top but soft in the center and have several cracks – about 13-14 minutes. (Watch them carefully toward the end of the baking time. The sugar makes the cookie crisp on the outside but can also make the bottom darken too quickly. For my oven, 13 minutes was perfect.)

Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days. (These cookies also freeze well.)