Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients

• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 small eggs or 1 1/2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Directions

1. Beat the butter until it loosens and softens. Mix in the sugar and keep beating until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, beat again until fluffy, then mix in the molasses until everything is evenly combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and finely ground black pepper with real energy so the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, 1/3 at a time. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough, and no longer.
4. Fit plastic wrap into a 9" x 5" loaf pan, leaving extra hanging over the sides. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan, packing it in well and making the surface as even as you can. Fold the overhanging plastic over the dough, then freeze until very firm, preferably overnight.
5. Unwrap the frozen dough and lift it out of the pan. Cut the block into thin slices, keeping each one no thicker than 1/8".
6. Working in batches, arrange the slices on a parchment-lined or Silpat-lined sheet pan, spacing them at least an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees F until the edges are dark brown, 7-12 minutes, depending on how thin the slices are. Begin checking for doneness at 7 minutes.