Feeling like your holiday cookies need a little updo? This lemony ginger spice cookie may just be what you are looking for! This cookie’s chew is addicting, the flavors fresh and intriguing, and oh so perfect for the holiday tray with a little dusting of snowy white confectioner’s sugar. If you’re like me and hardly ever bake because you can’t live with the temptation, this is the perfect cookie. These cuties don’t last long if anyone else is around.
I originally posted this recipe a couple of years ago when lemons filled my mind for days. Lemons are enticing, but what caused this recipe creation was not only the idea of lemons, but a divine Indian dish with coriander…hinting of lemon! Sometimes obsession and distraction make for a happy child. A sudden urge for a really good chewy cookie and voila was born the lemon spice cookie recipe that had been floating around in my head.
When the idea hit me, I knew I would base the recipe on my childhood favorite chewy gingersnap recipe from The Joy of Cooking, but with lemony spices instead of molasses and cloves. I would use lemon zest, lemon grass, ground coriander and ground ginger. To lighten the color of the cookie, I replaced the molasses with honey. I was hoping for the crinkle effect of a gingersnap, but for some scientific reason, that did not occur. Does anyone know why not? I used baking soda and vinegar…doesn’t mixing these two cause the chemical reaction needed to make cracks in the cookie…or is molasses involved?
I’ll include the original gingersnap recipe below as well. If you love chewy cookies, it’s an amazing recipe.
Ingredients:
Makes 4 dozen cookies
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tsp. white vinegar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- zest 1 lemon
- juice 1 lemon
- 1 Tbs. finely pureed lemon grass (I used Gourmet Garden Lemon Grass prepared product)
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat oven 325 degrees.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add all the other ingredients except the flour and mix well using a hand or stand mixer. The last step is to add the flour and mix together well.
Form dough into 1-inch balls. Bake on a cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. When the cookies cool, cover them with sifted powdered sugar.
Gingersnaps from the Joy of Cooking
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cream together:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
Stir in:
- 2 well-beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 tsp. vinegar
Sift and add:
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 to 3 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
Mix ingredients until blended. Form dough into 3/4 inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar. Bake on a greased cookie sheet about 12-15 minutes.
Vegetarian Perspective 