Monday, September 28, 2009

Gingersnaps (p. 766) and Peanut butter cookies (p. 767)

I noticed recently that I had managed to make very little headway on the Cookies and Bars chapter and I was really hungry for cookies. While leafing through the chapter, I noticed Gingersnaps (p. 766). I absolutely love gingersnaps and had all the ingredients on hand. Plus, Josh doesn't like them, so I knew I'd have free reign.

I mixed flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in one bowl, butter and sugar in another bowl. An egg, some dark molasses, lemon zest, and lemon juice were added to the butter mixture. I used the Kitchenaid mixer I got for the wedding--sometimes I just don't want to get the stand mixer dirty, so I'm pretty excited about the hand mixer.



It looked like peanut butter!



I mixed the flour into the butter mixture:



Then spooned the batter onto a greased cookie sheet:



I slightly undercooked them because I like my cookies chewy:




They were really good! Nice and chewy with a solid molasses flavor (but not overwhelming). I loved them! I know gingersnaps aren't that popular but I've always really liked them.

I knew that Josh would like some Peanut butter cookies (p. 767) and I like PB cookies too.

It was a typical recipe. I mixed flour and baking soda in one bowl and butter, sugar, and brown sugar in another bowl. I beat an egg, the peanut butter, and vanilla into the butter mixture.




I will let you in on one of my secrets--I really recommend oiling the measuring cup in some way (butter, cooking spray, whatever) so that the PB just slides out. Otherwise, it's sticky and hard to remove.

I beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture and spooned out teaspoons of batter. I then criss-crossed the cookies with a fork:



And I slightly undercooked them so they would be crumbly:



Peanut butter cookies on the right, molasses cookies on the left. The PB cookies were really delicious, although they were really crumbly (I like them like that). I love PB cookies--I don't know why I don't make them more often.

One of my biggest frustrations with Colorado (other than the high altitude) is the dry air. Among other problems, it stales baked goods wwwaaayyy faster than they ever staled in the midwest, which is very frustrating--although it encourages us to eat more cookies faster!

2 comments:

  1. Ooh, I made the Joy gingersnaps recipe a couple of days ago too! I rarely make cookies and didn't read about the method (which my mum says is at the start of the cookie section) and totally ignored the taught-from-a-young-age adage to mix wet and dry separately. My dough was mega dry so I added an extra egg to moisten things.

    In hindsight, I'm pretty sure I mismeasured the butter, because they didn't spread out as they were supposed to, like yours did. Still delicious though! I love the addition of citrus, mmm!

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  2. *slaps forehead* Why? Why!? do I keep forgetting about your oil cup trick for PB. I *just* made a peanut butter recipe and I Hate doing the measuring part.
    Oh and the Kitchenaid hand mixer is the BEST. After I had one that the engine literally blew up while mixing cookie dough, K went out and put the $ down for that one. The round blades work sooo much better than traditional flat ones.

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