Tuxedo Gingersnap Cookies

Thin and crispy Tuxedo Gingersnap Cookies are loaded with traditional Christmastime ingredients, like molasses, cinnamon, and ginger! Once cooled, half of each cookie is dipped into melted white chocolate and sprinkled with edible glitter. These cookies taste even better than they look; and I think they look amazing!

I’ve shared gingery cookie recipes with you before, but this one is different. Unlike the others, these Tuxedo Gingersnap Cookies are rolled and cut into circles with a cookie cutter. The dough is first chilled to make rolling easier and to prevent the cookie from spreading too much while it bakes. And, of course, unlike the others, this one is dipped in chocolate!

So, why are they called tuxedo cookies? Well, a tuxedo cookie is essentially a cookie that resembles the black and white colours of a gentleman’s tuxedo. In this case, the cookie isn’t black, but rather a reddish brown – almost like terracotta! Dipping the cookies into melted white chocolate helps to give them that tuxedo effect. It might be a stretch, but I didn’t invent it, so don’t blame me! Ha!

Tuxedo cookies have been around for quite some time. I remember reading about them in a cookbook once. If memory serves me correctly, they were quite popular once. Normally, the cookie base is vanilla flavoured and while one half is dipped in white chocolate, the other half is dipped in semi sweet chocolate. I’m opting for just the white chocolate half, because I love the colour of that gingersnap cookie, so why cover it up?

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS – VOLUME 5

I’m so excited about this year’s cookie countdown! This is the fifth consecutive year; can you believe that? Each of the previous years has included 24 cookies and this year will not be any different. I’ll share a new Christmas cookie recipe each and every single day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday!

You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas cookie recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to bake the same holiday cookies year after year?

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Volume 5 of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! Fresh off of my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas and my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, I’m ready to plow through the next 24 days with you!

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday baking countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

CHRISTMAS IS COMING SO BREAK OUT THE MOLASSES AND GINGER!

Fall is here and Christmas is right around the corner.  Because of the fact that I associate Christmas with the flavours that are present in this cookie, they had to be a part of this series. Cold weather begs for the warming spiciness of ground ginger anyway! It just goes to prove that the flavours of spices we have long associated with fall such as cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, and of course, ginger, are good anytime you feel like it!

For me, Christmas brings with it comfort, not only in terms of outdoor temperatures, but also in terms of more clothing options.  I, for one, love to wear sweaters, coats, and long pants.  I love mittens and scarfs – but, not hats!  Oftentimes, I skip the scarf too, but I always skip the hat! I’m one of those guys that will style their hair every single day – even on the weekends! I have this fear that someone is going to drop by and I need to not look like I just woke up! So, whether my hairstyle is good or not, I’m not covering it up with a hat no matter how cold it is outside!

Another comfort associated with winter is staying home more.  There are new seasons of your favourite television shows; there are the comforts of new décor for your home, and we can’t forget the addition of more blankets to our beds!  That, in itself is just glorious to me! And, in typical foodie fashion, winter comfort also brings with it the best foods and recipes.  I love to cook and bake, so when the colder temperatures set in, I’m excited to turn on my oven.  Bring on the roasting and braising season!

TUXEDO GINGERSNAP COOKIES

Tuxedo Gingersnap Cookies are a great introduction to winter baking.  The flavours are warm and soothing, and the smells are familiar and welcoming.  In fact, the ginger flavour in this particular recipe is so dominant that the cookie actually feels warm and spicy on the tongue.

When a gingersnap cookie can create a warm and spicy sensation when being eaten, you know you’ve got yourself an authentic gingersnap cookie recipe!  That is the one thing that I love most about this recipe.  And, just when you think the flavour is getting a little too warm, you can take a bite of the white chocolate dipped side and cool it down. It’s a perfect balance!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Brown Sugar – For colour and flavour!
• Molasses – When baking, the best molasses is fancy molasses.  Stay away from dark or blackstrap molasses unless instructed otherwise.  Fancy molasses is a light molasses. 
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Soda – Commonly known as sodium bicarbonate, or just bicarb, it is a baking ingredient that’s activated by a liquid and an acid to help with leavening or rising.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is an aromatic spice with a warming flavour.
• Ginger – Ground ginger is fresh ginger that has been peeled and dried before being ground into a powder.  It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness. 
• Chocolate Chips – These are used to create the tuxedo look by dipping the cookie halfway into the melted white chocolate.
• Vegetable Shortening – This is used to thin the chocolate. You can also use coconut oil.
• Sprinkles or Edible Glitter – Optional.

LET’S TALK ABOUT MOLASSES!

There are basically three types of molasses – light, dark, and blackstrap. If you boil cane sugar once, you will get light molasses. If you boil it twice, you’ll get dark molasses. So, boiling it three times, must mean that you’ll get blackstrap molasses. Remember, the darker the molasses (blackstrap) the less sweet and more bitter it is.

Never use blackstrap molasses in a recipe unless instructed to do so by the author of the recipe. You can use light or dark without changing the taste drastically. There’s also sulphured and unsulphured molasses. The difference between the two is that the sulphured molasses has been chemically treated with preservatives.

If you buy molasses to make these cookies and have lots left over, there’s plenty you can do with it. One of my favourite sources of recipe inspiration is Taste of Home. Here’s a list of 33 Amazing Molasses Recipes!

CAN I USE TREACLE INSTEAD?

Yes. In essence, treacle is the British version of molasses. It comes in two forms: light treacle or golden syrup, which is very similar to a light molasses. Black treacle is similar to blackstrap molasses, but is lighter in colour and not as bitter. I use unsulphured fancy molasses and black treacle interchangeably.

HOW TO MAKE TUXEDO GINGERSNAP COOKIES

Add the butter to a large mixing bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Add in the brown sugar and molasses.  Beat until well combined.  Add the egg and beat into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.  Beat to combine and incorporate.  Cover dough and chill for 1 hour.

Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured, clean surface, or roll it out on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.  The dough should be ¼ inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles using a round cookie cutter.  Place cookies onto a prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each one.  Bake for 10 minutes.  In the meantime, re-roll the dough and cut more circles. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Once cool, add the white chocolate chips and the vegetable shortening to a microwave-safe bowl.  In 30-second increments on high speed, melt the ingredients together until smooth.  Be sure to stir well between each increment.  Dip half of each cookie into the melted white chocolate.  Set them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and sprinkle with sprinkles or edible glitter. Set until the chocolate is firm. 

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Tuxedo Gingersnap Cookies, you certainly can! Once completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out onto a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. If packaging, wait until the condensation has evaporated. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!