It's a snap with Ginger!

by Nancy Conway

I have been asked for this recipe so many times, I decided it must be worth sharing with everyone. These cookies are so easy to make, simple in that all the ingredients are pantry staples and although they are yummy fresh from the oven, they improve with age!

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I think it is pretty generic. It is durable cookie that ships well, stays fresh a long time -- hard to say since they get eaten so fast.

The best part is the whopping tablespoon of ginger called for in each batch. New research is identifying a lot of great things about ginger, a spice the Chinese have used for medicinal purposes for centuries.

Ginger, Zingiber officinale is thought to aid in digestion and many recent studies have pitched ginger against Dramamine to combat seasickness.

According to The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, by Joe Graedon and Theresa Graedon, Chinese fisherman have known for centuries that ginger can stave off seasickness.

Early American home remedies included real ginger ale, which used to contain larger amounts of ginger, to treat nausea and vomiting. You test treatment out with a recipe for fresh ginger ale below.

Folk medicine, says the People's Pharmacy, relied on ginger for easing indigestion, to "pep up the appetite and get saliva flowing."

And early Americans would include a dish that had ginger in it whenever they ate beans or something that might cause gas, because the ginger was thought to "prevent flatulence."

Sorry -- let's get back to the cookies. My favorite thing about ginger is how great it makes everything taste. These are cookies and if you get four dozen medium-sized cookies, expect to consume 50 calories per cookie. So, chew, chew, chew and enjoy each morsel.

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All-time best ginger snaps
Makes 4 doz medium-sized cookies -- Preheat the oven 350 degrees

• 3/4 cups shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup Better 'n Eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream shortening/sugar. Beat in molasses and Better 'n Eggs until fluffy. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Roll into walnut-sized balls and coat with sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten with a glass. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and store in airtight container.

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Fresh ginger ale
Makes 12 servings

• 2 cups chopped, peeled ginger
• 2 tablespoons of lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 quarts chilled club soda
• Ice cubes

Boil the ginger, lemon peel, and 4 cups, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar (until sugar is dissolved) and boil another 15 minutes. The mixture should reduce to about 3 cups. Strain with a sieve or a strainer lined with cheese cloth. Cool, then cover and chill for a couple of hours.

To make on serving, combine 1/4 cup of syrup with 1 1/2 cups of club soda and ice cubes. Note -- you may want to experiment with the ratio to get the right strength for the best taste. Try using apple juice or white grape juice for an interesting taste.