Sourdough Ginger Snaps

These beautifully crinkled cookies get their sharp tang from sourdough starter and plenty of blackstrap molasses. Classic holiday spices pair perfectly with Spelt flour, an ancient grain rich in flavor and nutrition. This recipe was generously shared with us by the Grain Lady, Mona Esposito. You can find more of her work here. 

Yield: 20 cookies

Total Time: 1 hour (plus overnight chilling)

Ingredients

• 220 g Janie's Mill Spelt Flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp salt
• 113 g (½ cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 33 g sourdough starter discard
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup blackstrap molasses
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• raw sugar for coating

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Mix well.
2. In a larger bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and sourdough starter discard.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for up to 24 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Pour raw sugar into a bowl for rolling.
5. Scoop cookie dough by the heaping tablespoon and roll into balls. Roll or press dough in raw sugar. Gently press each dough ball to flatten slightly. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 1/2″ between cookies.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are cracked, puffy, and the edges appear cooked. Let the cookies set on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. Once cool, store in a sealed container.