Favorite Ginger Snaps

This is the plate of treats that we gave to friends and neighbors this year. Santa Claus Nutter Butters, Rolo Turtles, and Ginger Snaps with a spattering of kisses and miniature peanut butter cups. I loved how wonderful the ginger snaps made my house smell as they were baking. I thought I would try a different ginger snap recipe that had a mixture of butter and shortening to make them not so flat and it worked. These cookies stay thick and chewy even when cooled. Perfect.

Ginger Snaps

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour (plus 1/4 cup for high altitude)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Cinnamon Sugar:
1/2  cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and shortening until fluffy, add sugar and beat for about a minute. Add the egg and molasses and beat well. Stir dry ingredients into the mixture until well incorporated, then roll into 1 inch balls (I use my smallest cookie scoop to help me make them uniform in size) and roll in cinnamon sugar before placing on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until top is just crackled and barely set (they won't look all the way done, but if you over bake the cracks open up and the cookies are hard when cooled). Remove from oven and allow to rest on cookie sheets for 2-3 minutes, then remove to wire racks and cool.