This classic ginger spice cookie is kicked up a notch with chewy chunks of crystallized ginger, a gorgeous drizzle of icing and beautiful crunchy flecks of gold sugar on top, making the prettiest ginger snap!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, black pepper, white pepper and cayenne pepper, set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add molasses and fresh grated ginger and beat again until combined. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture and mix until incorporated. Add chopped crystallized ginger and gently mix until just incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto wax paper or parchment paper and shape into 2 or 3 logs about 2 inches in diameter (the length of each log doesn’t matter because we’ll slice and bake later). Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Remove the logs of dough from the freezer, unwrap and and cut each log into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices (thicker for chewier cookies, thinner for crispier cookies) and arrange on prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch and a half in between each cookie. Return extra dough to the freezer while not using to keep it cold and firm.
Bake cookies for 7-12 minutes (less time for chewier cookies, more time for crispier cookies), rotating and switching position of pans halfway through baking time. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
In a bowl or measuring cup, add the powdered sugar, vanilla and half & half and whisk thoroughly to combine.
Once the cookies have cooled, push them close together on the cooling rack. Use a whisk or a fork to drizzle the icing over the cookies. While the icing is still wet, sprinkle cookies with gold sugar. Let set until the icing hardens.
Tips for making the icing look pretty:
If the dough is getting hard to slice, pop it back in the freezer. It works best when it's really cold.
I found the gold sugar in the baking aisle of my regular grocery store near the sprinkles. If you can't find gold sugar you can substitute regular coarse sugar, but the coarseness is key because it adds a nice crunch to the top!
Recipe from my mom!
The Prettiest Ginger Snaps https://yummynoises.com/the-prettiest-ginger-snaps/