A recipe for Ginger Snaps

As a big fan of shop-bought ginger snaps, I was keen to see if they were easy to make at home, and if the homemade variety would taste better.

These ginger snaps are easy to bake and made 25 beautiful sweet biscuits that are crunchy at the edge and slightly chewy in the middle – heaven!

After a peedie bit of searching I discovered the following recipe within the Orkney Hospitals’ Recipe Book which was published in 1984. It was contributed by Enid Fleming, a telephonist, and I’d like to extend my thanks to her.

These ginger snaps are easy to bake and made 25 beautiful sweet biscuits that are crunchy at the edge and slightly chewy in the middle – heaven!

Ingredients

• 12 oz / 340g self-raising flour
• 1 rounded teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 rounded teaspoons ground ginger
• 8 oz / 225g sugar
• 4 oz / 115g butter
• 2 tablespoons syrup
• 1 egg (beaten)

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger together.
2. In another bowl, melt the sugar, butter and syrup. We put it in the microwave for 2½ minutes, stirring the mixture halfway through. Once the sugar has dissolved, it is ready. Allow the mixture to cool down for 5 minutes.

3. Mix the sugar, butter and syrup into the flour, and then add the beaten egg and combine into a sticky ball.
4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
5. Roll into small balls and place a little apart on the trays. If you like to be precise like me, I made each one 30g in weight, which made 25 biscuits in total (with a small biscuit left over).

6. Flatten each ball slightly with a fork.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Each Ginger Snap will flatten and spread and become golden brown.
   TIP: If you like your Ginger Snaps a bit crunchier, just leave in the oven for slightly longer.
8. Place on a wire tray to cool (though we highly recommend trying a Ginger Snap whilst it is still warm!)

By Magnus Dixon
Orkney and Shetland enthusiast, family man, loves walks, likes animals, terrible at sports, dire taste in music, adores audiobooks and films, eats a little too much for his own good.

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