Gingersnaps

Before I start this (much anticipated) post for my Gingersnaps... I have to brag for a sec:

I, Tasty Kaiti's, have had TWO twitter interactions with one of my favorite non-vegan chefs, (@chefsymon) Michael Symon, in less than one week!!!! 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, on with the Gingersnaps! :-) 

I've written a lot about the time I got to spend growing up with my grandparents... Turns out that a lot of who I am, what I do, and what I like I got from them. Gingersnaps are one of those things. Pop-pop (my grandfather) and I could go through that brown bag of gingersnaps in one night while we watched and talked about the Food Network shows we were watching. He taught me how to dunk them in (then) milk so that they got just soggy enough that they would melt away in your mouth. Something about the spicy bite of the ginger blended with the warmth of the nutmeg and cinnamon... I just can't stop! Thinking about them now is making my mouth water like crazy... as another Food Network chef (Guy Fieri) would say, "Get me a mop!"

Christmas time is like, THE time for cookie baking and in my house, that is most definitely the truth... I think I made 8 dozen cookies this past Christmas! ...Don't Judge me...  I found and adapted this recipe from the Food Network so that this gingersnap loving vegan could devour them!  Best part? Even Pop-pop said they were better than the brown bag cookies we used to inhale!  I made these three times during Christmas because we just couldn't stop eating them!!! 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) Earth Balance 

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G + 2 TBS warm water, mixed together until frothy and thickened

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup sugar in a shallow bowl, for topping

Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl; stir well to mix.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together on medium speed the Earth Balance and sugar for about 5 minutes until very light, fluffy and whitened.

Add the egg replacer and continue beating until smooth.

Lower speed and beat in half the dry ingredients, then the molasses. Stop the mixer and scrape down bowl and beater.

Beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Remove bowl from mixer and use a large rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough.

Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out 1-inch diameter pieces of dough. Roll into balls between the palms of your the hands, then roll in the sugar.

Place the balls of dough on the prepared pans leaving about 3 inches all around each, to allow for spreading.

Bake the cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they have spread, the surface has crackled, and they are firm to the touch.

Slide the papers from the pans to racks. Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or waxed paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.