christmas cookies: ginger snaps

we are in the holiday home stretch!  and while christmas baking it truly meant for, well, christmas, it can be liberally extended to new year’s day ( just like keeping your tree up).  so get all of those purely-decadent-and-much-too-sweet-for-the-rest-of-the-year recipes in now while you still can!

here at sweet beet & green bean i’ve been celebrating with a whole month of vegan christmas cookies, including russian tea cakes, thumbprint cookies and chocolate candy cane chews, along with plenty of other sweet treats.

and now, the final chapter – the ginger snap.  this sweet and spicy cookie has everything you want on christmas day.  it is super sweet, spiced with the usual ginger, cinnamon and cloves, and like most cookies it’s best fresh out of the oven, still warm and soft.

ginger snaps
2 tbsp flax meal
3 tbsp water
3/4 c vegetable oil
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 c flour

start by mixing the flax meal and water and setting aside to thicken.  this will replace the egg in the recipe.  the flax seeds have plenty of good fats that will rehydrate into an egg-like substance as well as providing a little boost of fiber.

in a small bowl mix together the molasses, oil and sugar.  the oil might separate a little but once the flax meal mixture has thickened and you add it in, the mixture will all incorporate quite well.

in a large bowl sift together the flour and spices.

pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

spoon out even amounts of the dough, roll into balls and place them on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper or aluminum foil.

grease the bottom of a flat glass and press the balls of dough down flat.  you will need to continue to grease the bottom of the glass as you do this.  i sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray each time but you could also use some vegan margarine or any type of cooking oil.

dust the top of the cookies with sugar before popping them in the oven.  bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

they will be nice and soft when they are fresh out of the oven but crisp up once cool.

snack on them yourself or leave them under the tree for santa!