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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Gingersnaps are crispy, crunchy, warming treats that can be made even more delightful when you use a cookie press to make them into adorable shapes! Even if they’re a little fiddly, the holidays are a special time, so why not go the extra mile to make something a little extra special?
Kick off this holiday season with cookie Press Gingersnap Cookies! While some might think that cookie presses have gone the way of the Jell-O salad, I think they’re a fun tool that can add a little extra pizazz to holiday baking!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make even if you don’t have a cookie press! It’s a fantastic bake for a busy time of the year.
- Total Time: You can have these cookies ready and baked in about 20 minutes!
- Variations: No cookie press? No problem! You can roll this dough into balls and flatten them with a fork to make a cute design. For a fun twist on a classic, you could turn these adorable cookies into sandwiches with a luscious filling of The Best Buttercream Frosting Ever, or double up on the holiday fun with some Peppermint Buttercream Frosting!
- Tools For This Recipe: To make this recipe, you will need mixing bowls, an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, a silicone spatula, baking sheets, and cooling racks. A cookie press is optional for making fancy shapes, but you can always simply roll your dough into balls and flatten them with a fork for a more rustic look! If you want to make sure that your cookies are all portioned perfectly, consider investing in a cookie scoop!
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Butter: Some old recipes for gingersnaps call for shortening (or a mix of shortening and butter), but I think that using all butter makes cookies taste infinitely better.
Molasses: Molasses gives these gingersnaps cookies a rich and robust flavor that you can’t get from using brown sugar alone. The deep caramel notes of molasses pair perfectly with the warm spices and add moisture that you need to make getting the dough out of the aperture of a cookie press a little easier. Karlynn’s Tip: If you’re unsure of what kind of molasses to reach for in the store, reach for containers labelled “fancy” or “regular” molasses. Dark molasses can also be used in baking, and is most commonly used in gingerbread recipes. Avoid “Blackstrap” Molasses in baking, as it’s best used for savory recipes like baked beans and pulled pork.
Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves give these gingersnap cookies their classic warming flavor. For the very best results, make sure to use fresh spices, and to store your spices in a cool, dark place so that they can stay flavorful for as long as possible!
Sprinkles or Colored Sugar: Add a little sprinkling of color right before baking for an extra splash of holiday cheer! My favorite is a mix of red and green!
How To Make Cookie Press Gingersnap Cookies
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 375 °F. Cream the butter and sugar together until combined, but don’t over mix. Add the molasses and egg and mix together completely.
- In a separate bowl mix all of the dry ingredients together with a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in stages, combining well with a spatula, until a dough forms.
- Roll into balls, flatten with a fork and sprinkle with sugar or use a cookie press to extrude the dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until the edges are crisp and cooked. Promptly remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Cookie Press Gingersnap Cookies
- Temp Talk: These gingersnaps are just like your average cookie cutter ones in that they’ll burn on the edges if baked for too long! Start checking in around the 8 minute mark to make sure that the cookies are well baked, but not scorched!
- Pressed For Success: If you’ve never used a cookie press before, it can be a bit of a hassle to get shapes out right the first time! A good trick is to make sure that your cookie dough is fridge cold and to avoid using baking paper or any grease on your baking trays. Non-stick surfaces help the dough stick down and come out of the press cleanly! Since you’ll probably have to fill your cookie press in batches, make sure to keep extra cookie dough in the fridge to make sure it stays as cold as possible; cold dough holds shapes best. However, every cookie press is slightly different, so you may need to experiment some to figure out the best process for yours!
- Gizmo Gab: I lucked out in that I was able to thrift a gorgeous 1960’s cookie press, complete in the box with its original instruction booklet, but I realize that not everyone is that lucky! If you don’t have a family member who’s likely to have bought (and kept!) such a beautiful blast from the past in all of its vintage glory, there are modern-day alternatives that work just as well and can be bought online!
Storage Instructions
Allow your gingersnaps to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 7 days!
Freezer: After letting baked cookies cool completely, you can keep them in a well sealed, airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the unbaked dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in a freezer-safe zip top bag, for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to make it into cookies, allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge before shaping as you like.
More Delicious Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Look no further than my Christmas Candy Cane Cookies for a fun bake to do with your kids!
- My Chocolate Turtle Bark is an excellent, easy to customize treat that your friends and family will love!
- There’s no beating the classics! Whether you call them Mexican Wedding cookies or Pecan Sandies, they’re still buttery perfection!
- Looking for another recipe to use in your cookie press? Why not give my delicious Whipped Shortbread recipe a try? After all, calories don’t count during the holidays!
Cookie press cookies remind me of my childhood. Every time I see someone has used them to make cookies, it brings a smile to my face! There are so many decorative plates available that you can make them in all kinds of shapes, and even if the process can be a little fussy, a plateful of cuteness really adds to the holiday cheer!
Give this recipe a try and let me know about your cookie press adventures in the comments below!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Cookie Press Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- sugar or coloured sprinkles to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F
- Cream butter and sugar until combined but don't over mix them, you don't want it really light and fluffy.
- Add in the molasses and egg and mix in completely.
- In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients with a whisk.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until you have a well-incorporated dough. Roll into balls, flatten with a fork and sprinkle with sugar or use a cookie press on an un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes.
- Promptly remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jeani says
The original vintage recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsps baking soda and yours doesn’t. Yes or no?
Brooke says
Crunchy and good. I have the same vintage recipe booklet. I used 1/2 c butter and 1/4 c shortening and upped the ginger a bit.
T says
Seems to be a step missing between #4 & 5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
Carol Mitchell says
I have my mom’s press just like yours. No book, no box. I have never press cookies. How do you get the dough to drop?
Bonnie says
ANY tips for I if the dough doesn’t drop for the press?
Farrah Innis says
I have never made ginger cookies can I use fresh ginger?
Lorianne Ward says
Karlynn, what kind of cookie press do you use? I need to get one and don’t want to waste my money buying crap.
Rosemarie Polich says
They look yummy! I can try- I don’t think I have a plate that looks quite like that though
Sophie Nakoneczny says
The shape doesn’t have to be the same. I’m sure there are a variety of plates.