Grandma's Recipe: Gingersnaps!

This has got to be one of the best recipes for gingersnaps I've ever tasted - lovely, chewy ginger cookies with a nice molasses flavour that's not too overpowering. And it makes a ton of cookies, which is good; everyone seems to love them - they never last for long! I don't know where my Grandma got this recipe from, but it's easily 20 years old, if not older. They freeze really well, so they're good for making ahead. Grandma always used to have a bucket of them in the freezer for when she had little visitors.

These are amazing on their own, but you can also dress them up if you want - so far I've served them with pumpkin spiced whipped cream or eggnog ice cream.

Grandma's Gingersnaps
Makes 5-6 doz. (she was making cookies for 10 kids!)

1 c. butter (original recipe calls for margarine)
2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 c. molasses
1/3 c. golden corn syrup
4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Cream softened butter and brown sugar. Add egg, molasses, and syrup. Stir dry ingredients together and add gradually to mixture. Add vanilla. Gather dough into a bowl, cover, and chill for several hours or overnight (this really helps - you don't want to make these cookies until the dough is good and chilled!). Roll approx 1 Tbsp of dough into a ball, roll in sugar, and place on cookie sheet. Do not flatten! Bake @ 350ºF for 10-12 min.

You'll know they're done when they're nice and crinkly on top! They come out out of the oven all puffed up and then flatten a bit as they cool.