Chef John's Gingersnap Cookies

Recipe View 5 mins In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until thoroughly combined. (5 minutes)

Recipe View 1 hrs In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and 2/3 cup of sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and creamy. (2 minutes) Add the candied ginger, molasses, vanilla extract, and beaten egg to the butter mixture. Whisk until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until just combined and the flour disappears. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours, to chill. (1 hour +)

Recipe View 10 mins Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour 1/2 cup of white sugar into a shallow dish for rolling the cookies. (10 minutes)

Recipe View 20 mins Scoop out approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough using a small scoop or teaspoon. Form the dough into balls and roll each ball in the white sugar, ensuring it's fully coated. Place the sugar-coated cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie. Slightly flatten the cookies to about 1/4-inch thickness using your fingers or the bottom of a glass. Sprinkle each cookie with a tiny pinch more sugar for added sparkle and sweetness. (20 minutes)

Recipe View 13 mins Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies reach your desired level of crispiness or chewiness, typically 10 to 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (10-15 minutes)