Gingersnap

A small, somewhat spicy, very crisp cookie that is flavored with molasses and ginger. It is typically served as a finishing touch to a meal or as an accompaniment for ice cream and/or sherbet.

Some Gingersnaps are made as a thicker variety of a cookie or biscuit while other versions are made like very thin wafers. The Swedish Gingersnap, referred to as a Pepparkakor Gingersnap is made as a thin wafer. This Gingersnap is a common cookie served throughout the year but most often during the Christmas holidays. The Swedish Gingersnap has a traditional story that is a part of the enjoyment of serving this cookie during holidays. As legend goes, if one of the Gingersnaps is placed on a flat surface prior to eating, the person who will be eating the cookie positions their thumb in the center of the Gingersnap and presses downward. If the cookie breaks into three pieces, then good luck or good fortune will be forthcoming to the person whose thumb broke the cookie into 3 pieces.