Lemon laced gingersnaps

Back in the day when I was little the kids at school used to call me all sorts of names: some were because I was too small, others because I had lots of freckles and also because my skin was too white (kids can be quite cruel sometimes). The two “nicknames” I remember the most are Vicki and Casper – yes, the Friendly Ghost. :S
That came to mind when I baked these gingersnaps: they look kind of pale, don’t they? But do not let that fool you: they carry a lot of flavor and quite a punch from the spices.

Lemon laced gingersnaps
adapted from Sweet Miniatures and Baking for All Occasions

Cookies:
1 1/3 cups (186g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pinch of salt
85g (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (107g) light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
1 tablespoon cold brewed coffee – I used water

Icing:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and coffee (or water) and beat to incorporate. On low speed, add the sifted ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Turn dough onto a large piece of baking paper and shape into a long cylinder, about 3.5cm (1 ½in) in diameter – like Martha does here. Twist the ends and refrigerate until firm, 3-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Remove the dough cylinder from the baking paper and slice into 5mm thick slices. Place onto prepared baking sheets 2.5cm (1 in) apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies begin to firm up and look dry on top.
Cool completely on the sheet over a wire rack.
Make the icing: place butter, icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and beat until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a small piping bag (made with a piece of baking paper) and pipe onto the cookies. Set aside to dry completely before storing between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container (room temperature) – iced gingersnaps can be kept this way for up to 3 days; without the icing the cookies can be kept for up to 10 days.

Makes about 30 cookies