Orange Ginger Creams — the jeri cerutti

Gingersnaps

2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 large egg

On sheet of waxed paper, combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In medium saucepan, melt ¾ cup butter. Remove from heat; stir in sugar and molasses until sugar dissolves. Beat in egg until blended; stir in flour mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Transfer to sealed container; store in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Form rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown; flatten cookies with spatula. Cool a few minutes on sheets on wire rack; remove cookies to wire rack to Allow to cool on cookie sheets

Filling

2 ¼ cups confectioners sugar
¼ cup crystallized ginger
½ cup butter or margarine, cut in pieces
2 tablespoons orange marmalade

In food processor, process confectioners sugar with crystallized ginger until ginger is minced. Add butter and marmalade, process till smooth.

Spread rounded teaspoonful of orange cream onto flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side in.

Field Notes: This recipe comes from the February 1990 issue of McCall’s magazine. It’s been one of my favorites since I tore the page out and saved it. Full disclosure, I’ve only made the gingersnaps twice - the first time was 32 years ago when I had four young kids underfoot, at which point the time-cost/benefit analysis suggested store-bought gingersnaps were the way to go. If you choose that route - they’re better the next day after being stored in the fridge. The cream filling and cold storage softens the gingersnaps a bit. I have also made them using my Mom’s Spice Cookies.

The second time I followed the recipe was last weekend. I found it super easy, in an empty nester sort of way, and they came out like Baby Bear’s porridge...just right. Don’t be scared of going old school - it will be my preferred method moving forward.

When I first made the filling, I had a more powerful food processor and it worked like a dream. Until it was time to clean the food processor, anyway. Last weekend I used my tired little mini processor only to mince the ginger with a cup of the confectioners’ sugar, then transferred it all to my mixer to add butter and marmalade. Next time I’m going to finely chop the ginger the old-fashioned way, use a mix of butter and cream cheese and orange zest and freshly squeezed juice in place of the marmalade. Or maybe lemon juice and zest.

And if I actually do any of that…I’ll update these notes.

Yield: the recipe says 28 filled cookies, I got 22. I weighed the dough for each cookie (17g each) and they are about 2 ¾” in diameter.

Freezing: They are a fabulous frozen treat. Will update on how well they survive the thawing process, when/if they are allowed to thaw.

the ninety cookie club:
orange ginger creams

*week eleven*

photo of recipes from magazine page — The OG of Orange-Cream Gingersnaps

*McCall’s, February 1990, page 108*
I renamed them Orange Ginger Creams because it seemed less awkward and at least as accurate.