umbo (or not) Gluten Free Gingersnaps. Let the games begin. It’s officially time to start celebrating the Christmas season. So…let’s get on with the Christmas cookie list.

Gingersnaps have long been made in Germany and England, where molasses was used because it was less expensive than granulated sugar. The combination of spices – ginger, cinnamon and cardamom – invoke all the lovely aromas that remind you of the holiday season. This is a special cookie all by itself, but you don’t need to stop there. This cookie could be the start of a perfect crust for that beloved Pumpkin Cheesecake or use it as part of a coating on your holiday ham or you could make some poppable cake pops coated in white chocolate. But, for now, with how busy you are during the holidays, this cookie is perfect.

And, you may be wondering, do I really need the cardamom? Well, I asked the same question. Especially when I went to the grocery store to buy this aromatic, sweet and citrusey spice and saw a $9.99 price tag on a 1.75 ounce bottle. Turns out that this is the third most expensive spice in the world – right behind Vanilla and Saffron.

So, I made a batch of these cookies without the Cardamom and then, I wrestled my wallet out of my purse and broke down and bought the Cardamom and made a batch with… And, I have to admit that the Cardamom made a huge difference in the eating experience. So, to justify this huge expense, here’s a tiny bit of education that might help you ‘digest’ the cost. I didn’t have time to buy it online, but I’m sure it has to be cheaper somewhere.

Cardamom is a member of the ginger family, which explains why it is such a great complement to ginger itself. It’s native to the Middle East, North Africa and Scandinavia and there are two main types: green (Ellataria) which is what you’ll find in the grocery store and is suited for desserts and brown (Amomum) which is more appropriate for savory dishes. There’s a white, but that’s basically the green bleached. The good thing about this spice is that you get double duty – it’s aromatic – which is great for your baked goods, etc., but it also has medicinal properties. It has a host of benefits – but here are a few: relieves digestive issues, it’s an antioxidant and the best one – it fights depression. Can eating a dozen or so of these cookies, elevate my mood? I may need to give that a try.

Mangia! Mangia!

Here’s a picture of both the jumbo size (1/4 cup) and the smaller 1 Tablespoon size. This dough will be sticky. I found that if you put the extra sugar for coating the dough balls in a 9″x 13″ pan (or something similar) that you can scoop an entire tray right into the sugar, roll them all at once and then you can avoid sticky fingers. But, if you still get all messy, just take a break, wash your hands and start over.

Deb Farina

Yields 43

Jumbo Gluten Free Gingersnaps

This aromatic ginger snap cookie invokes the holidays. Eat it as it is or use it as a crust for your favorite pumpkin cheesecake or as a topping for your holiday ham.

20 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 2 and 1/4 cup (9.9 ounces) GF All Purpose Farina Flour*
  • 2 teaspoon guar gum or 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (6 ounces) vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (3 ounces) molasses
  • 1/4 cup (2.6 ounces) real maple syrup
  • 1 large whole egg

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In mixer bowl of electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup sugar, GF Flour, xanthan, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute to combine.
  3. In separate bowl (I just measure right in a 2 cup measure), combine oil, molasses, maple syrup and egg.
  4. Add to dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended, scraping down bowl, if necessary – about 1 minute. Let rest 1 minute before shaping.
  5. If making jumbo size, shape a 1/4 cup of dough into a ball and roll dough in sugar to coat evenly. Repeat with remaining dough to make 10 balls in all.
  6. You can also make this in a smaller size, just follow the same directions above.
  7. Place the jumbo balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet 3″ apart. Place the 1 Tablespoon sized cookies 2″ apart.
  8. Expect dough to be very soft. If you want a flatter cookie, take a flat-bottomed glass and gently press the cookie to flatten before baking.
  9. Bake the jumbo cookie about 15 minutes and the 1 Tablespoon sized cookie 10 to 12 minutes.
  10. Let cool on pan 1 minute before moving and use pancake turner to move cookies to wire rack. Cool completely before storing.
  11. Will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for 3 days or so but can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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http://glutenfreefarina.com/2015/11/27/jumbo-gluten-free-gingersnaps/

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