Cardamom Gingersnap Cookies

Inspired by Monica Bhide’s suggestion, we’ve updated traditional gingersnaps with the addition of freshly ground green cardamom for a sweet pungency that underscores the warmth of the ginger. We also use maple syrup instead of traditional, stronger-flavored molasses so the spices can really shine. And for deeper flavor, I’ll use our DIY Ghee instead of regular butter.  A 2-teaspoon cookie scoop is ideal to portion out the dough. Gently flattening the dough with the bottom of a sugar-dipped glass gives them a uniform shape and lends a pretty sparkle to the finished cookies. Or, if you like your gingersnaps thin and crispy, roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness and cut it out with a cookie cutter for a spicy spin on traditional sugar cookies. When rolling the dough out, I find it helpful to roll it between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper and chill it for 15 minutes before cutting out shapes. This makes it easier to remove the paper and to cut the cookies cleanly.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter OR DIY Ghee, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus additional for shaping cookies
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients; set aside.

Place butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until thoroughly combined. Add maple syrup and water; beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in flour mixture. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

Drop dough in 2-teaspoonful mounds onto 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Place about 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip the bottom of a small glass into regular or turbinado sugar, and use the bottom of the glass to gently flatten each cookis to a 2-inch diameter. (Continue dipping the glass into the sugar as needed to prevent it from sticking to the cookies.) (Or roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness between 2 sheets of parchment or waxed paper, chill 15 minutes, and use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Then sprinkle cookies with regular or turbinado sugar.)

Bake at 375 F for 12-14 minutes or until light golden-brown. Cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Yields 18 cookies