Superthin Superbowl Snaps

These thin ginger snaps are such a pain in the a*# to make.  So we only do them on Superbowl Sunday, maybe once more around the holidays.  Baking isn’t any fun, but if you can suffer through the exact measurements and ridiculously thin rolling of the dough, you’ll be rewarded with razor-thin ginger snaps that you are compelled to repeatedly cram into your mouth.  Really, you can’t eat just 25 of them.

The Goods:

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C molasses
• 1/2 C melted unsalted butter or shortening
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 T white vinegar
• 1/2 T baking soda
• 1 T ground ginger
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 C flour

The Execution:

Mix first 4 ingredients, stirring well to dissolve sugar.  In a separate cup, quickly mix vinegar and baking soda and add while still bubbling into the sugar mixture — exciting!  Mix ginger, salt and flour together.  In thirds, stir flour mix into sugar mix until incorporated.

Let rest a while, at least 30 mins.  When ready to cook, oven to 350º.  Take a small handful of the dough and on a floured board roll it super thin.  Like so thin you can see the board through the dough.  You’ll need to keep adding flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the rolling pin. Cut into small circles (or whatever shape you like).

With a sharp spatula, scrape the rounds off the board and line up on a cookie sheet.  Into the oven for 8-10 minutes until browned.  They’ll crisp up as they cool on a rack.   While one batch is in the oven, start rolling out the next.  If you get them thin enough this recipe will make about 6 cookie sheets.

p.s. – my father would not have approved of the snaps in the picture above, they’re all still too thick except the one shown below: