Tag Archives: Ginger Cookies

I first learned about Ginger Crinkle Cookies from my friend Lanie. She baked me a big batch and brought them to my cottage many years ago. I was instantly smitten. Crispy at the edges and chewy in the center, intensely flavoured with ginger and cinnamon. Typically, I have always though of ginger cookies as a winter Christmas type of cookie, but surprisingly, she found the recipe in the “Kosher Palette” cookbook. They make an excellent summer cookie too, especially when you sandwich some salted caramel ice cream between two of them!

Over the years I have tinkered with the recipe and had the idea to stuff the center of them with some chewy caramel. It took a while to get the right caramel for the stuffing. I first tried Kraft caramels but they hardened after baking and cooking and didn’t give me the chewy center. I made my own caramel, which was outstanding, but way too much work. Then I tried Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels. They stay chewy even after the cookies cool. I also put them through the freezer test and once thawed, the caramel stays chewy.

Check out this video to see how they come together.

Here are a few tips to ensure success:

Use a cookie scoop to ensure consistent size and even baking. I use this one. It has a one ounce (2 Tablespoon) capacity.
Spray your measuring cup with a bit of non-stick cooking spray before measuring and pouring the molasses. It will glide right out. You can do this for measuring anything sticky, like peanut butter or honey.
Roll the scoped cookies in coarse sanding sugar. The texture of the coarse sugar is what gives the cookies their characteristic crinkle top. If you’re in Canada, Bulk Barn carries it.
The Werther’s caramels are rectangular shaped. Before stuffing the cookies, twist them so they are more circular in shape. This will prevent oozing.
I like to top each cookie with additional caramel to give a visual cue as to what type of cookie you will be eating. After a bit of experimenting, I found that about 1/3 of a caramel, placed on top, halfway through the baking time, yielded the best results. A sharp scissors was best for cutting the caramels.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter, larger than the cookies, to give a little “scoot” to even out the shape and have picture perfect round cookies. I learned this trick from Erin over at cloudykitchen.

Click here to print recipe for Caramel Stuffed Ginger Crinkle Cookies.

Caramel Stuffed Ginger Crinkle Cookies

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At first glance, ginger and caramel may seem like an odd pairing. But one bite of this cookie will convince you that it’s a marriage made in heaven. The sharp bite of ginger is tamed by the sweet creamy caramel.

While we traditionally associate ginger molasses cookies with the winter holiday season, I discovered that they are equally delicious in summer, with a big scoop of salted caramel ice cream sandwiched between two chewy ginger molasses cookies. My favourite ginger molasses cookie recipe comes from my friend Lanie. She calls them Ginger Crinkle Cookies, because they develop beautiful cracks all over the surface as they bake. Ever notice how we covet cracks and crevices in our cookies, but not in our aging skin? Just saying!

I wish I could take credit for the genius idea of stuffing a sea salt caramel into the centre of a ginger cookie. But I must give credit for the inspiration to blogger and cookbook author Ruth Tam. When she posted these cookies on her Instagram page a few weeks ago, I knew I must add them to my holiday cookie list.

Watch the video below to see how these cookies come together.

When choosing the caramel to stuff into the centre of these cookies, be sure to use a good quality sea salt caramel. The inexpensive square caramel candies they sell in the supermarket do not stay creamy for very long after baking. I have baked these a few times now. The first time I used Sea Salt Caramels from Target. They were pretty good. The second time I made them, I made my own caramels. I used this recipe from Sally. Excellent caramels and if you have a candy thermometer, they are foolproof!

Next time I make them I want to try pickle and myrrh’s sea salt caramels. They ship worldwide and I have heard amazing things about them.

More is not always better, especially in the case of caramel. A small piece in the centre of each cookie will suffice. I speak from experience. With my second batch, I tried to cram in more caramel and I got a gooey mess. The creamy caramel escaped from the confines of the dough and the cookie never really set up properly. The perfect ratio is 48-50 grams of dough (about 2.5 tablespoons or this cookie scoop) to 8 grams of caramel. And yes I measured with a scale. That’s why all my cookies baked evenly.

Once the cookies are scooped, I released them right into the coarse sanding sugar. The cookie scoop makes lovely little ridges on the top of the dough ball, perfect for filling in with the sugar. Don’t be tempted to roll the dough into a smooth tidy ball with your hands. Remember, we want a cracked surface.

When you remove them from the oven, they will be golden brown, but still quite soft. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a good 10-15 minutes to set up before you try to move them.

Click here to print recipe for Caramel-Stuffed-Ginger-Crinkle-Cookies Download

If you plan to make your own caramels, click here to print recipe for Sea Salt Vanilla Caramels from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

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I was introduced to these cookies last summer by my friend Lanie. At first I thought it was kind of strange that she made ginger cookies in August. I have always associated cinnamon and ginger with winter. But that was before I sandwiched two cookies around a scoop of salted caramel ice-cream. Home run!!These ginger crinkle cookies are rolled in coarse sanding sugar before baking to give them a crunch. The crispy exterior yields to a chewy center thanks to a judicious amount of molasses. This recipe comes from The Kosher Palette Cookbook. The original recipe calls for rolling the balls of dough in granulated sugar. I wondered if coarse sanding sugar would be better so I tested both. I really preferred the look and more pronounced crunch of the coarse sugar.I have made these cookies several times since this summer. The last time I made them I used chilled coconut oil in place of the butter, for a dairy-free cookie. I used a refined coconut oil (also called expeller pressed) which is almost flavourless. This is what you want for such a highly spiced cookie. You would not want the flavour of coconut to compete.