chocolate gingersnaps $4.33 recipe / $0.18 cookie

chocolate gingersnaps

$4.33 recipe / $0.18 cookie

During the four weeks of giveaways, I posed the question, "What is your favorite Christmas cookie?" Classic sugar cookies were definitely the number one answer, but coming right behind behind were gingersnaps and snickerdoodles... two of my favorites!

I'm not a huge sweets person, which is why I like these chocolate gingersnaps. The semi-sweet chocolate and spicy ginger, nutmeg, and cloves help counteract that sugary sweetness. These cookies have a real BITE!

They're not the most inexpensive cookie (you can't beat a regular sugar cookie there), but since they're my favorite I decided to share them. My mom first introduced me to these cookies and I fell in love. I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but it's important to note that it's not my recipe. I don't know where they originated, but I'm just passing them along because they're too good to keep to myself!




Total Recipe cost: $4.33
Cookies Per Recipe: 24
Cost per cookie: $0.18
Prep time: 20 min. Chill time: 1 hr. Cook time: 25 min. Total: 1 hrs. 45 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1.5 cups	all-purpose flour	$0.33
1.25 tsp	ground (dried) ginger	$0.15
1/4 tsp	ground cloves	$0.05
1/4 tsp	ground nutmeg	$0.05
1 Tbsp	unsweetened cocoa powder	$0.04
1 tsp	baking soda	$0.05
8 Tbsp (1 stick)	butter	$0.80
1 Tbsp	grated fresh ginger	$0.24
1/2 cup	brown sugar	$0.16
1/2 cup	dark molasses	$1.10
1/4 cup	white sugar	$0.04
4 oz.	semi-sweet baking chocolate	$1.32
TOTAL		$4.33

STEP 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

STEP 2: Peel the fresh ginger and grate it into a separate, medium-sized bowl (grate using a small holed cheese grater). Add the butter (room temperature) and beat with an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy.

STEP 3: Add the brown sugar to the butter mixture and beat again until fluffy. Add the molasses and beat until fluffy. Add half of the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Add the second half of the flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated. If the dough is too dry and won't come completely together, add one tablespoon of water.

STEP 4: Roughly chop the semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces. Stir it into the dough. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for about one hour or until firm.

STEP 5: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the white sugar in a small bowl. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into 24 pieces. Working quickly, roll each piece of dough into a ball and coat it in white sugar. Place the sugar coated dough balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment (12 per baking sheet). Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the surface looks cracked.

Step By Step Photos

Start by whisking together (or sifting together) the dry ingredients: flour, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa powder, and baking soda.


Place the room temperature butter in a separate bowl. Peel and grate the ginger into the bowl with the butter. The more ginger you use, the spicier the cookies will be.


Beat the butter and ginger together until it is light in color and slightly fluffy looking.


Add the brown sugar and beat again.


Add the molasses and beat again (I only beat the mixture for about a minute after adding each ingredient).


Add half of the flour mixture and beat until it is well incorporated. Add the second half and beat again. Remember to begin your mixer on a low speed when adding flour or else it will end up all over your kitchen! The dough should still be fairly sticky at this point. If it's too dry to come together (and look like this), try beating in one tablespoon of water.


Now it's time to add the chocolate chunks. Mine came wrapped in one ounce squares. You can use your favorite semi-sweet chocolate.


Chop the chocolate into small chunks.


Stir the chocolate chunks into the dough. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. The dough is too sticky to shape into balls when it is room temperature, so it needs to firm up in the refrigerator.


Once the dough has firmed up in the refrigerator, unwrap it and cut it into 24 pieces. It didn't seem like I'd get 24 pieces out of that small ball of dough, but I did. I first divided it into quarters and then cut each quarter into 6 small balls. As the dough warms up it will get sticky, so work fast. Roll each ball in the white sugar.


Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and place 12 dough balls per baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time in a preheated 325 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.


You'll know they're done when the tops begin to crack open.


They're so good with their spicy bite and chunks of semi-sweet chocolate!