Snaps in a snap

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Fresh ginger root is one of those foods where you need just a little but have to buy a lot (celery, parsley and plain yogurt also fall into this category--at least in my cooking world). The curry I made on Friday night called for ginger, but of course a decent chunk of root remained in my fridge.

Therefore, in an attempt at resourcefulness, I decided to try making gingersnaps with the ginger before it became a green moldy lump in my crisper. I shredded the ginger, which resulted in a somewhat stringy mess. In the spirit of experimentation, I tossed it in, and the cookies turned out fine, though some have a few strings sticking straight up. The recipe I adapted called for honey instead of molasses, and though I was skeptical at first, it turned out to be a nice twist.

Gingersnaps with Fresh Ginger
(adapted from Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte)

2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 c. honey
2 1/2 tbsp. finely diced fresh ginger

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment. Sift togeter the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

2) Using an electric mixer, cream the butter. Beat in the sugar to mix, then the egg, then the honey, and then the fresh ginger. Mixing on a slow speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a spatula as you go. Beat only until thoroughly mixed.

3) Using a teaspoon, place the dough on the baking sheets. Bake until cookies are uniformly brown, about 12-13 minutes. You may have to bake multiple batches. Transfer cookies to racks to cool.