Gluten-Free Adventures: Gingersnaps!

Gingersnaps (gluten-free), a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

After the disappointment with the chocolate chip cookies, I decided to next try a cookie that I don't really care for. My reasoning is: if I don't usually like it, then it won't matter too much if it fails. True, right? But then, how will I know if the recipe turns out well or not? Hmmm. I'll try a cookie that someone else in the family really loves. Gingersnap! This cookie seems like a holiday cookie to me, which I eat out of politeness at Christmas; but actually, people seem to eat it year-round. I adapted a 10-year-old recipe out of the Gluten-Free Gourmet by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Gingersnaps Recipe

1 cup garbanzo bean flour (she uses Garfava)
1 cup constarch
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 and 1'2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 stick butter
1/2 cup olive oil (she uses Crisco)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs

In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 10 ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in molasses and eggs.
Add the dry ingredients gradually while mixing, until well blended.
Place rounded teaspoons of dough on baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 minutes at 350F.
Remove carefully and cool on wire rack.

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First of all, these cookies came out super thin I think because I used olive oil instead of shortening. Maybe if you used all butter, the batter might be less runny. But that aside, these little crisps are undeniably delicious! And that's coming from a non-gingersnap-lover like me. I could not sense the bean flour at all in this cookie, perhaps because of the strong spices. The kids did not remember ever eating gingersnaps before (what?), so when they tasted it I was curious to know what they thought. They both loved them. And this cookie got raves from the gingersnap fan too! If you prefer the thick, chewy kind of ginger cookie, then this recipe is not for you. They came out so thin they were almost like crackers. But that was their beauty. TinySprite was enamored of them. She doesn't eat snacks at preschool (usually goldfish or graham crackers), so when she comes home she asks for one of my homemade gluten-free treats. These she cradled "gingerly" in both hands so she wouldn't lose a single stray crumb. I will definitely make these again, and probably add extra ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Success!