Tipper Gore's Ginger Snaps

Name: Tipper Gore's Ginger Snaps
Total time: 30 min
Yield: about 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature; 2 cups sugar; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup molasses; 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar

By Marian Burros

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(205)
Comments: Read comments

Contests pitting the baking ability of potential first ladies against each other began in 1992 when Hillary Rodham Clinton got everyone shaking and baking with her infamous cookie comment, discussing working as a lawyer while her husband was governor of Arkansas.

''I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas,'' she said. Her remark created a reactionary cookie contest, the brainchild of Family Circle magazine, which published her chocolate chip recipe and one from Barbara Bush.

In 2000, this recipe went up against Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies.

Featured in: It's Ginger vs. Chocolate in the Presidential Cookie Race

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Ingredients

Yield:about 4 dozen cookies

3¾cups all-purpose flour
1½teaspoons baking soda
2½teaspoons ground ginger
½teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼teaspoon ground cloves
¾cup (1½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
2cups sugar
2eggs
½cup molasses
2teaspoons white distilled vinegar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2
Mix flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in large bowl.
Step 3
In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat at medium speed until combined, 2 minutes.
Step 4
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in molasses and vinegar until combined, 1 minute.
Step 5
On low speed, beat in flour mixture.
Step 6
For each cookie, roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. With fork, flatten each, and make cross-hatch pattern.
Step 7
Bake in oven 15 to 16 minutes, until slightly browned around edges. Remove cookies to rack to cool.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

205 user ratings

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Comments

Nank8 years ago

This is an excellent recipe, and I'll bet it's true that Tipper Gore uses it. But to give credit where it's due, the recipe is straight from the Joy of Cooking (though they suggest 12 minutes in the oven, which is better if you want the cookies to be a little chewy inside.)

Susan8 years ago

OK, I'm replying to my own comment. I read another ginger cookie recipe that suggests 'a wet fork' to flatten the cookie balls. And --wow-- it works perfectly!

Justin G6 years ago

The are a great recipe. I added another 1/2 teaspoon of ginger to give them a bit more zing. Plus increased oven temp to 350 to make them have a bit more crunch.

mollyharbour3 days ago

Is one serving one cookie? Asking because the nutritional info does not state what a serving size is—just how many cookies the recipe makes :)

Betsy1 month ago

These were disappointingly bland. I reduced sugar to 1.5 cups (sweetness with this amount was good) and increased the ginger to 3tsp, but it was still quite bland. It definitely needs significantly more spices and some salt. Perhaps this recipe doesn’t call for salt because it calls for butter and not UNsalted butter (which I used as I always do for baking).

Jeanna2 months ago

These are tasty. Next time I will add sugar on the tops before baking.

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