When I was growing up in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Fall was the time for Sweetzels Spiced Wafer cookies, also known as gingersnaps. These delicious spice & molasses cookies that I looked forward to every Autumn originated in Europe in the 14th century. They came to the New World with German, Dutch, and English settlers, but were not made commercially until 1910 when they started being produced in the Philadelphia area. Throughout my childhood, they could only be found around the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.

While I usually prefer to use butter for baking, using a neutral cooking oil in these cookies gives them a soft and chewy texture. Granulated sugar sweetens the cookie dough and a touch more sugar is used to coat the balls of dough before baking. The depth of the rich, sweet & smoky flavor is courtesy of the molasses in the dough. Ginger provides a warm and slightly peppery element to the cookies that is complemented by the warm and slightly floral essence of cinnamon. This version of gingersnaps is enhanced with the addition of some white chocolate drizzled over the top of the cookies, elevating them from good to fabulous. While other home bakers may consider gingersnaps a Christmas specialty, they will always be a Fall delicacy for me!

White Chocolate Drizzled Gingersnaps (adapted from tasteofhome.com)  Total Time Required: 40 minutes + cooling time, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Bake Time: 10 minutes/baking sheet, Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 10 ounces white vanilla melting wafers

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and oil.

Beat in the egg.

Whisk in the molasses.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix well.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Place the balls 2 inches apart on Silpat lined baking sheets. Bake until the cookies spring back when touched lightly, 10 – 12 minutes. Cool the cookies in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes then remove the cookies from the pan to the wire rack to cool completely.

Put the melting wafers in a small microwave safe bowl and melt them in 30 second bursts on half power in the microwave until all the wafers are melted. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the vanilla chocolate over the cookies.

Let the cookies stand until the chocolate drizzle is set. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container.

Fall treats are so very sweet!  ~Linda

White Chocolate Drizzled Gingersnaps (adapted from tasteofhome.com)  Total Time Required: 40 minutes + cooling time, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Bake Time: 10 minutes/baking sheet, Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 10 ounces white vanilla melting wafers

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and oil. Beat in the egg. Whisk in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix well.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the 3 tablespoons of sugar. Place the balls 2 inches apart on Silpat lined baking sheets. Bake until the cookies spring back when touched lightly, 10 – 12 minutes. Cool the cookies in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes then remove the cookies from the pan to the wire rack to cool completely.

Put the melting wafers in a small microwave safe bowl and melt them in 30 second bursts on half power in the microwave until all the wafers are melted. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the vanilla chocolate over the cookies. Let stand until the chocolate drizzle is set. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container.