Crisp Gingersnaps

Please excuse my lack of modesty, but these are some pretty perfect lookin' gingersnaps.I made them for Christmas dessert to accompany some vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. And in 10 hours, I will see how that turns out.

And hours before that, I will be sitting down to Christmas dinner.

Christmas.

Oh man, how is it already Christmas? It's been such a fast year.

It's also been one of the hardest, if not the hardest year of my life. Nothing particularly specific stands out, but a lot of random unfortunate incidents and money shortages and dramatic phone calls and dinners for one made this year tougher than previous ones.

But as I sit here, on the second day of my nine-day break from a job I enjoy, with my two healthy puppies on the couch with dough rising on the counter in my tidy and clean apartment, with my beautiful Christmas tree lit up and decorated by my loving boyfriend, who is enjoying a well-deserved sleep-in on this frosty Texas morning, I can say that I am truly blessed and grateful to have the life I have.

Last year I spent Christmas with my boyfriend, our puppy Patti, and my best friend, Helen. We enjoyed a 9-pound leg of lamb. This year's no different, except now I have two puppies. And instead of lamb, we're having duck! I'm not complainin' today, no sir!

But before we feast on duck, we must have brunch! My boyfriend and I have cinnamon rolls each Christmas morning, it's our tradition. This year we're changing it a bit, we're having orange rolls. Stay tuned for that recipe!

But anyway, back to the gingersnaps! This is an incredibly easy recipe I found on All Recipes. It's a great cookie to store for a few days or hand out as gifts. The dough is super easy to work with and the texture and taste of the cookies are just what I wanted. I hope you love 'em!

Ingredients for 3 dozen

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• Sugar for dipping

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, then add the molasses and beat on low speed.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the well. Mix until just combined. 

Form the dough into 1-inch balls. I used a small scoop. Dip each ball into sugar and place onto the cookie sheets, with the sugared side facing up. Space the balls 2-inches apart and flatten to 1 1/2-inch in diameter. I used a small glass and it worked perfectly. Each cookie came out to the same exact size. 

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until tops have cracked.

Allow to cool on racks before storing.