Oh, snap!
We’ll soon be heading off for a week or so on a sailboat on the St. Johns River. It’s a pretty smooth ride, but there is some opportunity for rough weather that will rock the boat.I’m not one to take medicines for no reason (frankly, I rarely even take an aspirin unless someone nags me to do so) so I don’t want to take seasickness meds just in case it gets rough. What do I do if the ride gets rocky? Reach for the cookie jar, of course.
Ginger Snaps are my tummy calming medicine of choice when we’re sailing.
Many studies have shown ginger to be has been found to be effective in treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy. (Other studies have shown that ginger might also lower blood pressure and cholesterol as well as relieving the pain of arthritis. Those study results have all proved inconsistent so we’ll stick with what we know for sure.)
For me, ginger snaps are a comfort food. A teacher with whom I studied art as a youngster used to give her students ginger snaps and lemonade during class breaks which were always by the fountain in her tiny backyard garden. It was a calming break from the intense classes so I somehow associate ginger snaps with calming inner peace – sort of a Zen break from the rushing world around us.
The exotic flavor is reminiscent of some Oriental foods, but these spiced cookies are decidedly American. They are similar to sugar cookies, but have molasses and added spices.
Ginger Snaps
2 3/4 cups self-rising flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
• Combine flour, soda, and spices in a bowl and set aside. Cream sugar and margarine. Beat in egg and molasses until light and fluffy. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Chill for 2 hours or more. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, and place on lightly greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes, until set.
*If you don’t have self-rising flour you can substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoons salt per cup of self-rising flour.
Vegetarian.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
• Combine flour, soda, and spices in a bowl and set aside. Cream sugar and margarine. Beat in egg and molasses until light and fluffy. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Chill for 2 hours or more. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, and place on lightly greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes, until set.
*If you don’t have self-rising flour you can substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoons salt per cup of self-rising flour.
Vegetarian.
