During the coronavirus, so many of my friends have started to bake more and more. Every week I see a new friend upload a picture on Instagram of chocolate chip cookies or brownies, some have even asked me for a tip or two. I love both of these treats and they are fantastic with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream. However, as I see them pop up again and again on Instagram I am starting to wonder has everyone forgot about the other great treats that they could be making? With that in mind I want to take you through a classic recipe today but with a modern twist. This one will work beautifully on your Instagram and in your belly.
I love ginger. I love pickled ginger with sushi, I love ginger in my curries, I love ginger in my juices and yes I love ginger in my cookies as well. Gingersnap cookies are something that and I believe many people were raised on. Yet as time has moved on we all seem to be focussed on a smaller variety of cookies! I want to make a case for the return of the gingersnap to its glory days. Gingersnaps are the best, they are crunchy and sweet, and just a little bit spicy.
While gingersnaps are incredible as they are, they seem to have taken on a bit of an old fashioned image. Something that your grandmother enjoys but not your kids. In this recipe, I want to take the gingersnap into 2020. The key is adding two ingredients, tamarind, and jaggery.
Tamarind is a tart, acidic fruit from South Asia. It is slowly entering the wider world cuisine and it deserves a spot in everyone’s kitchen because it is just stunning. It contains such a complex taste that it really adds some depth to a simple cookie. The same is true for jaggery. Jaggery is also born in South Asia and is a variant of sugar. Some argue it is a little more nutritious but I certainly wouldn’t go as far as calling it healthy. When added to this cookie recipe it makes things a little saltier.
To make these cookies:
Add 330grams of flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1tsp of salt, 2 tsp of ground ginger, and 1 tsp of garam masala, and whisk. Cream 170 grams of butter and 210 grams of jaggery together using a mixer. Add one egg and one tsp of vanilla extract and mix again. Find a small bowl and mix 80 grams of molasses and 2 large tbsp of tamarind paste (buy or make your own). Add this to the butter mixture and mix one more time.
Slowly add your dry ingredients to the mixture while mixing on a low speed. Chill all of these ingredients for around 2 hours.
Get your oven ready at 180 degrees Celsius and start to pile your dough into small balls (around 20 grams each). Before putting them in the oven it is good to coat them in a little sugar but this can be avoided if you want a slightly healthier alternative. Bake the cookies for around 15 minutes until they are golden on the bottom but still soft overall. Don’t worry they will get that gingersnap crispiness as they cool.
These cookies will stay fresh for about a week if stored in a sealed container at room temperature. However, if the people in your household are anything like the ones in mine, don’t expect them to last that long.
These cookies are a throwback to a different time. They remind me of being a kid in springtime but with a modern and Asian twist. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.