Gingersnaps

As I perused the Gingersnap reactions of the other Alphas, there were so many fun responses that I couldn't wait to bake them, never having eaten a gingersnap myself except the boxed ones.

This was not a labor-intensive endeavor. I made the dough last night to chill, and today baked the 'cookies', as I think many are calling them since our Alpha in UK noted that there was not snap and furthermore these didn't have molasses and other ingredients that I think make up a true snap. So many wonderful responses, and I laughed and giggled.

Really, I have nothing to say except to agree with all that has gone before - these are special - and I, too, am eating them as they cool - and more --

                  Echo wanted to know what is happening 
                 to interrupt his nap, then went back to dream
                 of the birds in the trees outside since ginger 
                 doesn't smell enough like tuna~~~~~~~~~

Mis en place is quick and easy -

First. I melted butter and Golden syrup in Rose's caramel pot. I seem to use that pot for more things than I would have dreamed. I didn't have India Tree Golden so just used my Lyle's. With the butter: another spoon-licking experience.

Like several of us, I could not locate the golden sugar, so I did as Rose suggested in this case, I mixed light brown sugar with Caster.
I didn't think much about the fact that the brown sugar was none to loose, so when I finished something else and returned it was hard. Reminding me to put apple or another tip that Rose has mentioned.
So, I put it and the Caster sugar in the Cuisinart, and here it is, looking like fine Bermuda sand, except that once I was disappointed to see that Bermuda sand is really just sand-colored, not pink sand. Perhaps it's in the lighting at sunrise. 

Ingredients sifted into KA bowl. By rote I had put in the whisk and turned the flour mixture a few seconds before it dawned on me -- that wouldn't have been good, so completed its 30 seconds with the beater blade. So the flour mixture now was readyfor the cooled butter mixture and beaten for one minute before adding the egg mixture for 30 seconds.*[Oops--I was warned about doing the post inside. I guess I just had too suffer the injustice lol] 

The dough was crumbly but not dry, and was  easy to mold it into three little packages and refrigerate.

Then today I took one at a time and scooped balls with my beautiful scoop, that although it was 1.5 inches diameter, produced little balls that were 30+ g.  I didn't like that too much, and figured an easy way out was to just lay a bit of dough on the scale for 27g and then form the ball. Soon I became able to almost make the balls 27g, but I still just weighed them for fun. 

The first batch was gorgeous dark caramel - well, hmmm the bottoms were even darker, just missing scorch. They are too crisp, but the flavor is unbelievable. Perhaps the caramel is brought forward more with the intense heat. I am breaking my teeth as we speak eating one of the dark ones. It is still a little chewy in the center, but I doubt if that will remain. They are addictive as others have noticed and will be gone by morning... I have a picture of the requisite glass of cold milk!

The second batch was not quite as dark but I noticed something odd that was happening around the bottom. And then it hit me -- I had once again gone by rote - the last thing I baked was on the lower rack -- so now the middle batch was wonderful, also because I took it out earlier, so a little chewy and flavor still outstanding. 

 I moved the rack to the middle for the last batch, and still they baked quicker than expected, but are lovely and almost the same coloring as the second batch. The ginger is barely perceptible to me in these 'cookies', just a tiny bit noticeable using 1T. I will most likely add 1/8-1/4 tsp more next time just to tip it a bit. But whatever, these are fabulously flavored, and easy to make for many different occasions. And, all three of mine do indeed have 'snap'.

                            I'm off to get some milk, and guess what...?