Daniel's Ginger Cookies

On a cold and damp day last spring, Ezra and I were drawn into historic Joseph Schneider Haus where we were warmed by the cast iron stove and these simple ginger cookies. They are, quite honestly, the best I've ever tasted. And the museum had a copy of the recipe on hand! The secret ingredient is apple syrup, which is a consistency somewhere between molasses and maple syrup. If you're from Waterloo county, it's easy to procure. (For sure you can find some from Wellesley). In a pinch, I would try thinning some apple butter with maple syrup and a bit of molasses. Worth a shot!



More on the museum:

The Georgian style farmstead was built in 1816 by one of Waterloo region's first pioneers: a Pennsylvania-German mennonite who came to Canada in pursuit of farmland in the years after the revolutionary war.

And the cookies...

3/4 cup lard (I use shortening)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp apple syrup
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger (I added a bit more)
1 tsp ground cloves
2 cups flour

1. Blend together the lard and sugar until smooth.
2. Add the egg.
3. Add syrup, soda, salt, ginger, and cloves.
4. Stir in flour.
5. Chill the dough.
6. Shape dough into round balls. Place these on a cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.
7. Bake cookies in a quick oven (400 degrees)

*A note on baking with historic recipes

-I use medium eggs for historic baking. In this time period, eggs were not graded, but came in all manner of sizes as you collected them from your chickens. Most historic recipes measure eggs by weight. This one may have been converted for a modern kitchen. For best results, use medium or large and avoid sm or XL.

-How long? Well, when you cook or bake on a woodstove, it's impossible to gauge temperature, therefore impossible to gauge how long something will take to cook. I think these cookies took 8-10, but watch the first batch carefully and take note on the time. Remove when golden brown.