Mid-Century American Recipes: Ginger Snaps/Mulled Apple Cider

Hapa Mag - October 29, 2019

By Chrissy Pardo

Hello Hapa Mag readers! When thinking about my favorite Mid-Century American Recipes for Halloween, I immediately thought about my idyllic childhood in rural Pennsylvania— where hayrides can be found every five miles, and where my Hapa-ness made me the “most exotic” kid in my kindergarten class.

In my opinion, no one does autumn quite like Pennsylvania. And while there’s plenty of pumpkin bread to be found there (I’m looking at you, my sorority sisters from my Pennsylvania state college), if you really want a true taste of autumn, skip the terribly overrated pumpkin spice and instead try this combo: ginger snaps and mulled hot apple cider!

America differs from Europe on what the word “cider” means. England and Ireland know cider as a beer-like beverage made from apples, which has gained massive popularity as a gluten-free beer alternative in the U.S. over the last 10 years. America, however, probably thanks to our Puritan roots, refers to cider as unfiltered apple juice. Motts and Martinelli’s are two popular brands, but to me and Mr. Pardo, nothing beats a half-gallon of Ziegler’s, a Pennsylvania brand that can be found throughout the tri-state area every autumn. The process of mulling cider is much like mulling wine; just take the juice and warm it over low heat with some spices. Want something a little stronger? Just add 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon or rye to your glass before you pour your cider!

Ginger snaps (which are called “ginger nuts” in the British Isles for some reason) are pretty similar to gingerbread, but they’re smaller and thicker. Ginger snaps can also vary in texture as well, with some having that familiar gingerbread snap, to others being slightly chewier like a snickerdoodle (this is how I like them!). Want them snappier? Leave them in the oven longer than 10 minutes, but the bottoms will burn if you leave them in the oven longer than 17-20 minutes.

Ginger Snaps

(ADAPTED FROM THIS RECIPE)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¾ cup butter

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup robust molasses

• cinnamon sugar (recipe follows)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside. In a separate bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well, scraping down the bowl afterward. Then add the molasses and mix well. With the mixer still running, slowly add the flour mixture until a soft dough forms and all the ingredients are well integrated. (If using a hand mixer, add ⅓ of the mixture at a time, scraping down the bowl in between.)

Form 1-inch balls of dough. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place on an un-greased baking sheet 2 inches from the edge and apart from each other. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cracks form on the top of the cookies. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

Cinnamon Sugar

Ingredients:

• 2 parts granulated sugar

• 1 part cinnamon

• (for example: ½ cup sugar to ¼ cup cinnamon)

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Keep in an airtight container, and sprinkle on top of oatmeal, butter toast, cookies, or your favorite ice cream.

Mulled Apple Cider

Ingredients:

• ½ gallon apple cider (non-alcoholic) or unfiltered apple juice

• 2 cinnamon sticks, 4-5” in length

• 5 whole cloves

• 3 quarter-sized pieces of candied ginger, chopped

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat slowly over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Ladle through a strainer into mugs, and serve with a cinnamon stick.