Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chef notes
Molly Marzalek-Kelly, the head baker at Baked, is a gingersnap magician. Her recipe for Gingersnaps with Lemon Sugar is pivotal. She says that if your gingersnap love is waning, this recipe will surely pull you back from gingersnap purgatory. It is a glorious and simple cookie. It is chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and, as befits a cookie such as this, covered in a splendid lemon-scented sugar. It is also worth mentioning that it is a mixer-free recipe. All you need is your hands, a bowl or two, and a few minutes.
Preparation
For the lemon sugar:
Place the sugar in a small shallow bowl. Sprinkle the zest over the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest and sugar together.
For the gingersnaps:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and canola oil until combined. Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Add the molasses and whisk to combine.
In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using your (very clean) hands, combine the dry and wet ingredients together in the bowl, kneading as necessary.
Scoop and roll the dough into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Roll them in the lemon sugar to coat and place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart. For soft cookies, bake 12 to 15 minutes; for a cookie that is crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside, bake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and place them on cooling racks. Serve warm or transfer the cookies directly to the racks to cool completely.
How to store: The cookies can be kept, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
