Nearly 200-Year-Old Ginger Snaps

Steps

1. 1

   In a roomy saucepan, combine the sugar, molasses, lard, and butter. Heat the mixture until it comes to a boil.

2. 2

   While the mixture is still hot, stir in the ginger and baking soda. It will bubble up dramatically, so use a pan with plenty of room; alternatively, transfer it to a large bowl first. Stir until the bubbling settles down.

3. 3

   Let the mixture cool. Do not add the flour while it is hot.

4. 4

   Stir in the salt and about 3 cups of flour until a firm dough forms.

5. 5

   Roll the dough to roughly 3/16-inch thickness. Thinner dough bakes into crisper cookies; thicker dough yields softer cookies.

6. 6

   Cut the dough with small round cookie cutters; a 1.5-inch cutter worked well.

7. 7

   Bake at 375°F (190 °C) for about 8 minutes, adjusting for the cookies' size and thickness. Watch closely because they bake quickly; bake a small test batch first to find the timing that suits your oven, then bake the remaining cookies.

   Start 8-minute timer