Sparkly Ginger Snaps {recipe!}

As I mentioned a ways back, I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. From that, I have gained approximately 47 pounds as I received {dangerously} delicious dark chocolate cookies from Meg over at My Chocolate Covered Life, cookies made with coconut oil rather than butter {like tropical Christmas cookies!} from Peggy over at Get Fit with JuJu and sour cream sugar cookies that just about melted in my mouth from Brittany over at A Healthy Slice of Life. I heard that as a result of this exchange, over 22,000 cookies were flying across the country! I got to share my cookies with Jaima in Florida, Christie in nearby Illinois, and Jenn from North Pole, Alaska!!! I'm sure she gets that all the time, but I just thought it was too cool to send Christmas cookies to the real North Pole, and I pretty much want to hop on a plane and visit her. I'm sure I'll see Santa.

blogger love notes with a side of old German computer

So what did I send these little ladies?

what's in here??

I tried out a few cookie recipes {my freezer is stuffed to the brim with tupperwares of cookies, #christmasseasonproblems} and ultimately decided to send out a vegan-ized version of my go-to cookies-as-pressies: Sparkly Gingersnaps. They last forever so no fears that they'll show up at your loved ones' homes stale beyond edibility, taste like Christmas, and, when rolled in raw sugar, look so pretty, they should be on a Christmas card!

raw sparkly gingie snaps!

Sparkly Gingersnaps (vegan)
adapted from Williams Sonoma Christmas Cookie book


Ingredients
3/4 cup vegan butter {I used Earth Balance}
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 flax egg*
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream together vegan butter + both sugars until light and smooth.
Add flax egg and molasses and mix until smooth.

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon)

Add flour mixture to butter mixture, gradually, and mix until smooth. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes - I usually chill it for several hours until I'm confident it's firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease baking sheets.

Pour raw sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in raw sugar to coat lightly. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies for 10 - 12 minutes {honestly, I always bake them for 12 - 14 minutes, every oven varies!} or until just brown on edges and still a little soft in the middle.

Serve warm, serve cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, freeze 'em, mail 'em, they're the best.

le final version

One thing I noted about the vegan version of these cookies is that even a week after making them, they were less snappy and more soft and chewy. Not a bad thing in my book, as I prefer a softer cookie, but if you're hoping for a snappier snap you might consider using less vegan butter.

*note on making flax eggs: stir together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water until it forms a gel-like substance. That equals one egg!