The other contestant joining Laura Bush in the 2000 First Lady Cookie Contest was Tipper Gore, and she offered up something quite different than the usual Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies everyone else made (except Elizabeth Dole).
Here’s the recipe, straight from Family Circle’s website, and then I’ll give you my notes.
Tipper Gore’s Gingersnaps
From Family Circle
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) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
Directions
- Heat oven to 325 degree F.
- Mix flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a large bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugar; continue to beat on medium speed until combined, 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in molasses and vinegar until combined, 1 minute.
- On low speed, beat in flour mixture.
- For each cookie, roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheet. With fork, flatten each and make crosshatch pattern.
- Bake at 325 degree F for 15 to 16 minutes, until slightly browned around edges. Remove cookies to rack to cool.
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
My notes
This dough came out far too wet for me to roll it in a ball and then press it down with a fork. Also, the outside edge was crunchy and candylike (indicating not enough flour in the recipe), while the inside was chewy.
My suggestion is this requires more flour; start with an extra 1/4 cup and add more by tablespoons until you reach the consistency described in the recipe (where you can roll the dough into a ball in your hand).