Gingersnaps

The hubby has a new job! And right after he started, Boss Appreciation Day rolled around and everyone at work chipped in to throw a little dessert party in honor of the supervisors. He did all the hands-on work for this recipe, with just a few guiding tips from me, who stood in the background sneezing up a storm (in a direction away from the cookie-making area).

They were a big hit, and the cayenne really gives a boost to the warm fall spicy flavors in this cookie. We made them too big to be crunchy, but the sturdy chewiness was very satisfying so we didn't really mind anyway. The browned butter is just barely noticeable as a nutty aftertaste in the cookie, and it really gives it more depth of flavor. Aren't these just picture-perfect with the crackly tops? Good job, spousal unit!

Brown Butter Gingersnaps (adapted from Cookie Madness)

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons mild molasses

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat.

In a light-colored metal saucepan, melt butter on medium heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula. Cook until the color of the butter liquid shifts from golden yellow to amber and the gritty bits on the bottom of the pan turn brown, removing from heat immediately when that happens. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add the brown sugar and mix well to disperse evenly. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg, molasses, and lemon to the well. Slowly incorporate the wet into the dry ingredients with a spoon or spatula. When incorporated as much as possible, stir in the melted browned butter and finish mixing the dough into a smooth dough with an oily sheen. 

Using a teaspoon (for crunchy cookies) or tablespoon (for chewier cookies), scoop dough balls and roll them gently in a pile of granulated sugar. Place the coated dough balls on your baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies flatten and crack on top, and look set and brown on the edges. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes to let the cookie set, and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Yields 32 small cookies, approx. 16 larger cookies.