Day 6: Brandy Snaps

Lynn Manning, who works at the Kentville Branch, has made Brandy Snaps, from page 18 of the Gourmet Cookie Book. This book features the best cookie recipe from each year of Gourmet magazine's 68-year publication. Lynn's cookies will be at the Kentville branch today!

Here's the recipe:
 

Heat together in a saucepan 1-1/2 cups each butter and sugar and 1 cup molasses, stirring the mixture until it is well blended.  Stir in 4 teaspoons powdered ginger, remove the pan from the heat, and add 3 cups sifted all purpose flour, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.  Drop the batter from the tip of a spoon onto a buttered cookie sheet, allowing 2 inches between the wafers.  Bake in a slow oven (300F) for about 12 minutes, or until they are nicely browned.

Remove from pan immediately with a spatula (I used a steel one) and roll wafers over a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon, (I used a 9 mm knitting needle).  Or, if preferred, shape them into cones.  Store the brandy snaps in airtight containers. 

Lynn’s Recipe Notes

1. Use about 2 teaspoons batter for each cookie.
2. Be sure to remove the snaps from the baking sheet while they’re still warm and immediately roll them around the wooden stick.
3. Work quickly.  Return the cookies to the oven for a few seconds if they cool and become hard to roll.
4. Brandy snaps not only keep well, they taste better on the second day.
5. Recipe says it makes 18 to 20 dozen cookies. Ha! I was lucky to get 8 dozen.