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BACON FAT GINGERSNAPS

 

December 18, 2016

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Bacon Fat Gingersnaps snap with spicy ginger and clove, crackle with smoke and pop with molasses. Using bacon fat instead of butter sounds risky, but these knockouts are among the Beauties of the Year. For the richest flavors, buy the highest quality bacon available -- your stomach will rejoice. Leave your snappy and crackling comments below. Thank you Julia Moskin of NYT Cooking for this expert recipe. See Julia's original post.

The Finer Cookie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post contains affiliate links, which means The Finer Cookie will receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link. This modest income helps support the website.

Ingredients

(26-28) 3" cookies

Print Recipe

Grams

Ounces

Volume

  • 150 grams rendered bacon fat (from cooking 1 kilogram of high quality bacon), chilled
  • 200 grams white sugar, plus extra for rolling
  • 85 grams molasses or cane syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 250 grams all-purpose flour
  • 8 grams kosher salt
  • 10 grams baking soda
  • 10 grams ground ginger or more to taste
  • 3 grams ground cloves
  • 3 grams ground cinnamon
  • 5.65 ounces rendered bacon fat (from cooking 2 or 2½ pounds high quality bacon), chilled
  • 7 ounces white sugar, plus extra for rolling
  • 3 ounces molasses or cane syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 8.85 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ cup rendered bacon fat(from cooking 2 or 2½ pounds high quality bacon), chilled
  • 1 cup white sugar, plus extra for rolling
  • ¼ cup molasses or cane syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons/8 grams kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Instructions

RENDER THE BACON FAT

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Set the oven rack in the upper third of the oven.
  • Line a baking tray with a liner or parchment paper.
  • Separate the bacon slices on the tray.
  • Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
  • Pour the existing bacon fat into a measuring cup and separate the slices of bacon, removing the slices that are very crispy or leaving the fatty slices on the tray.
  • Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Continue to pour off the fat and remove the crispy pieces until all the fat is rendered.
  • Strain the bacon fat through a fine sieve.
  • Pour 3/4 cup of bacon fat and set aside. Let the fat sit on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge until solid.

Crispy bacon with the rendered fat.
Crispy bacon with the rendered fat.

  • Reserve remaining bacon fat for other purposes.

MISE EN PLACE COOKIE DOUGH

  • What is mise en place and how could it benefit you? See The Finer Cookie's post How to Mise en Place.
  • Measure into the bowl of the food processor, add bacon fat, sugar, molasses, egg, flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon. ; See How to Weigh and Measure for more details.

Weighing molasses, egg and sugar in the food processor.
Weighing molasses, egg and sugar in the food processor.

Bacon fat after it’s cooled and no longer liquid.
Bacon fat after it’s cooled and no longer liquid.

COMPLETE THE COOKIE DOUGH

  • Pulse the dry ingredients into the bacon fat/sugar mixture. Continue until a smooth batter forms.

Creating a smooth cookie dough in the food processor.
Creating a smooth cookie dough in the food processor.

  • Transfer the dough into a smaller bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Set in the fridge for 2 hours or up to one week.

FORMING THE COOKIES

  • Preheat the oven 350F.
  • Set the racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven.
  • Pour a thick layer of granulated sugar on a plate.
  • Measure 1 ounce/28 grams hunks of dough or scoop 1 tablespoon at a time.

Hunks of cookie dough, about 1 ounce each or 1 tablespoon.
Hunks of cookie dough, about 1 ounce each or 1 tablespoon.

  • Roll the dough into round balls, then roll the cookie balls into the granulated white sugar.

Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar.
Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar.

  • Set the round cookies on a tray about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread.

BAKE THE COOKIES at 350F for 10-12 minutes

  • Bake the cookies at 350F for 10-12 minutes at 350F.

Baking the Bacon Fat Gingersnaps. The oven shot.
Baking the Bacon Fat Gingersnaps. The oven shot.

  • The cookies are done when they've flattened out a bit and firm just firm to the touch.

Gingersnaps are out of the oven.
Gingersnaps are out of the oven.

  • As they cool, they will firm up and become crunchy.
  • Cool completely on a rack, then store in an air tight container.

Bacon Fat Gingersnaps, The Finer Cookie.
Bacon Fat Gingersnaps, The Finer Cookie.

TAGS:  bacon   ginger   spicy       LABELS: Kids  Savoury 

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Comments

13 Comments

Stacey   2018-11-22

So excited to try these! My husband loves ginger snaps and I am dairy intolerant. So a cookie that uses bacon fat sounds delectable.

Kimberlie 2018-11-23

This is the easiest cookie to mix and bake. The flavour that comes off the bacon fat makes magic in the gingersnap. Let me know how you enjoy them.

Pierre   2017-10-07

Dear Kim, you mentioned the cookies may need to be placed in the freezer if we planned to keep them for later. As a matter of fact, it is so true if there were any remaining! Best,

Kimberlie 2017-10-08

Well, that's good news!

Pierre Charbonneau   2017-10-05

Fabulous, gently spicy, the perfect one on a cooler day!

Kimberlie 2017-10-07

These cookies are winners all around. So happy you tried them.

[email protected]   2017-01-04

Those sound absolutely intriguing. Now I know what to do with the bacon fat I am always so reluctant to throw away!

Bill V   2017-01-04

Everything is better with bacon

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

Right you are Billy.

Cassie | Crumb Kitchen   2017-01-04

I know some people get scared of bacon fat (and of course it isn't the healthiest ingredient) but OH BOY does it taste good in desserts! I used it in maple doughnuts and it was delicious. Mixing bacon and ginger would be a delicious flavour combo too. Great post, Kimberlie (and nice meeting you at the conference)!

Kimberlie Robert   2017-01-04

You know Cassie, fat is fat whether it's butter, olive oil, chicken fat or bacon fat. My mother tells me as a child, they never wasted anything. She said her mother spread chicken fat on toast. One of my good friends renders duck fat and spreads it on toast. There's so much flavour in different fats. With ginger and molasses, bacon fat works perfectly. I hope you try them. It was so nice to meet you as well. Hopefully, I'll see you in 2017. Best, Kim

Janna, Mescantonsdelest.com   2017-01-04

OK! I just made these and they are SO good! They melted and got thin and chewy but crunchy like on the picture :) The bacon taste is definately there, so it is a bit adventurous. Verdict: Readers, go and try them!

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

Janna! Thanks for this message. I LOVE when visitors make cookies they find on my site. I saw your cookies in the oven on Instagram. I had to laugh. For me, these are so tasty, they've made my 2016 Christmas Cookie Basket. Thanks so much for your enthusiasm.

Janna, Mescantonsdelest.com   2017-01-04

Wow! I've been waiting for this recipe and I didn't even know it! We raised our own pork and the bacon is really FAT! I felt so bad throwing it out but could only fry so many potatoes in it... I'm going to try this right NOW! Thanks :)

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

You get me excited by your enthusiasm. YES! Try them. You'll love them. I promise.

Colleen Milne   2017-01-04

I'm so excited to see this recipe because it's almost exactly the one my Mom used to make when I was a child. I've never seen them since, until now. This makes me nostalgic because they were absolutely yummy, as I know these will be. Will be making them for sure. Thanks!

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

Hi Colleen, happy to provide this recipe. Your story hits home. Food is so much about associations and memories. The bacon fat acts like shortening and it's so delicious in a cookie like this. Thanks so much for your message.

Meaghan   2017-01-04

Oh wow! What an adventurous cookie :) Love it! Would be so happy to receive these as a treat gift!

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

Hi Meaghan, This cookie is truly adventurous. They are so delicious, they've have made my 2016 cookie basket. So there'll be a few pp receiving these cookies as gifts. Thanks for your message.

Arlene   2017-01-04

What a find! This recipe is quite an adventurous culinary expedition. Can't wait to explore the flavour notes in this cookie.

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

Thanks Arlene. I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Hopefully you'll bake them soon.

Hilary from Cocoa Bean, The Vegetable   2017-01-04

oh yum!!! Can't wait to try these!

Kimberlie 2017-01-04

Thanks Hilary. Let me know if you try them. No doubt, you'll like them.

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BACON FAT GINGERSNAPS

(26-28) 3" cookies

Ingredients
  • 150 grams rendered bacon fat (from cooking 1 kilogram of high quality bacon), chilled
  • 200 grams white sugar, plus extra for rolling
  • 85 grams molasses or cane syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 250 grams all-purpose flour
  • 8 grams kosher salt
  • 10 grams baking soda
  • 10 grams ground ginger or more to taste
  • 3 grams ground cloves
  • 3 grams ground cinnamon
Instructions

RENDER THE BACON FAT

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Set the oven rack in the upper third of the oven.
  • Line a baking tray with a liner or parchment paper.
  • Separate the bacon slices on the tray.
  • Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
  • Pour the existing bacon fat into a measuring cup and separate the slices of bacon, removing the slices that are very crispy or leaving the fatty slices on the tray.
  • Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Continue to pour off the fat and remove the crispy pieces until all the fat is rendered.
  • Strain the bacon fat through a fine sieve.
  • Pour 3/4 cup of bacon fat and set aside. Let the fat sit on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge until solid.

Crispy bacon with the rendered fat.
Crispy bacon with the rendered fat.

  • Reserve remaining bacon fat for other purposes.

MISE EN PLACE COOKIE DOUGH

  • What is mise en place and how could it benefit you? See The Finer Cookie's post How to Mise en Place.
  • Measure into the bowl of the food processor, add bacon fat, sugar, molasses, egg, flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon. ; See How to Weigh and Measure for more details.

Weighing molasses, egg and sugar in the food processor.
Weighing molasses, egg and sugar in the food processor.

Bacon fat after it’s cooled and no longer liquid.
Bacon fat after it’s cooled and no longer liquid.

COMPLETE THE COOKIE DOUGH

  • Pulse the dry ingredients into the bacon fat/sugar mixture. Continue until a smooth batter forms.

Creating a smooth cookie dough in the food processor.
Creating a smooth cookie dough in the food processor.

  • Transfer the dough into a smaller bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Set in the fridge for 2 hours or up to one week.

FORMING THE COOKIES

  • Preheat the oven 350F.
  • Set the racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven.
  • Pour a thick layer of granulated sugar on a plate.
  • Measure 1 ounce/28 grams hunks of dough or scoop 1 tablespoon at a time.

Hunks of cookie dough, about 1 ounce each or 1 tablespoon.
Hunks of cookie dough, about 1 ounce each or 1 tablespoon.

  • Roll the dough into round balls, then roll the cookie balls into the granulated white sugar.

Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar.
Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar.

  • Set the round cookies on a tray about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread.

BAKE THE COOKIES at 350F for 10-12 minutes

  • Bake the cookies at 350F for 10-12 minutes at 350F.

Baking the Bacon Fat Gingersnaps. The oven shot.
Baking the Bacon Fat Gingersnaps. The oven shot.

  • The cookies are done when they've flattened out a bit and firm just firm to the touch.

Gingersnaps are out of the oven.
Gingersnaps are out of the oven.

  • As they cool, they will firm up and become crunchy.
  • Cool completely on a rack, then store in an air tight container.

Bacon Fat Gingersnaps, The Finer Cookie.
Bacon Fat Gingersnaps, The Finer Cookie.

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