Ginger Snaps from "Good Housekeeping's Book of Recipes and Household Discoveries" copyright 1930.
As you can see the original recipe is a little vague in directions and oven temperature. But I didn't let that stop me! Beware though! This makes about 10 dozen cookies! I ended up freezing about three quarters of them. Another interesting aspect of this recipe is the strong tea. I have never seen this before and am not quite sure what the purpose of it is. In the finished cookies you can't tasted it, but in the dough I could. I hadn't heard of boiling molasses before either. As most of you know, molasses and baking soda create a reaction! I didn't really think about this and used a small saucepan to boil the molasses. So when the baking soda went in, I almost had an overflow and had to quickly dump it in the bowl!! Word to the wise-use a regular size saucepan.
Ginger Snaps-Updated Recipe
1 cupful sugar
7/8 cupful shortening (weird huh? I just eyeballed it.)
2/3 cupful cold strong tea (I used two black tea bags to make it strong)
1 teaspoonful ginger (the family thought there could be more)
1/2 teaspoonful cinnamon
1/2 teaspoonful cloves
1 cupful molasses
2 teaspoonful baking soda
5 1/2 cupfuls flour
In a bowl cream together sugar and shortening; add spices. Put molasses in medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Carefully add baking soda, stir in. Combine molasses/baking soda mixture with sugar/shortening mixture in bowl. Stir in flour one cupful at a time, remembering "too much flour makes tough ginger snaps"! Let sit for an hour or more. Roll thin (about 1/8"). Bake in 350 degree oven for about eight minutes. (You can't really burn ginger snaps, the more they are cooked the more crispy they will be.)
Makes about 10 dozen crispy crunchy cookies!
Very comparable to Swedish ones bought in the store. If you notice I even cut them out in a flower shape!
enjoy!
And don't forget to wear an Apron!