Bake the Book
20130318-btb-bacon_fat_gingersnaps.jpg

[Photograph: Evan Sung]

Apparently a Swedish-American tradition, bacon fat gingersnaps are a Cookfight gem. Sweet, smoky and spicy, their flavor sets them apart from any 'snap you've ever had.

Reprinted with permission by Julia Moskin and Kim Severson. Copyright © 2013. Published by HarperCollins Publishers. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

About This Recipe

Yield: makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup bacon fat (from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds bacon), at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
  • 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap) or cane syrup, such as Steen's or Lyle's
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Procedures

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until a smooth, stiff dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  3. Put the 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Breaking off 1-tablespoon lumps, roll the dough into balls, drop into the sugar, roll to coat, and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets

  4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are dark brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.