Ginger Cookie Without Molasses?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Does anyone have a gluten free ginger cookie recipe without molasses? Or has anyone tried just using all brown sugar instead of molasses for a ginger cookie recipe? I have fresh ginger and I would like to make some ginger cookies but I don't want to go out to the store to get the molasses. Flours I have on hand are brown rice, white rice, tapioca, potato, millet, sorghum, corn starch, corn flour, arrowroot and gluten-free bisquick. I would like to try to make the cookies dairy free as well--can sub coconut milk or almond milk for the milk and light olive oil for butter if your recipe has dairy. TIA for any suggestions. I've been searching but haven't found a recipe without molasses.

ETA: I also have raw almonds on hand to make almond flour if needed.

[burdee]

Does anyone have a gluten free ginger cookie recipe without molasses? Or has anyone tried just using all brown sugar instead of molasses for a ginger cookie recipe? I have fresh ginger and I would like to make some ginger cookies but I don't want to go out to the store to get the molasses. Flours I have on hand are brown rice, white rice, tapioca, potato, millet, sorghum, corn starch, corn flour, arrowroot and gluten-free bisquick. I would like to try to make the cookies dairy free as well--can sub coconut milk or almond milk for the milk and light olive oil for butter if your recipe has dairy. TIA for any suggestions. I've been searching but haven't found a recipe without molasses.

ETA: I also have raw almonds on hand to make almond flour if needed.

I'm (diagnosed) allergic to all forms of cane sugar, including brown sugar. So I just substitute white (beet) sugar for molasses (or brown sugar) in ginger cooky recipes and add a bit more liquid (either in the shortening or some milk) to compensate for less liquid for the dry sugar substitute. (Perhaps you can 'google' or find in an old cookbook a sugar/molasses or sugar/honey conversion table to give you exact amounts of dry sugar plus liquid to sub for molasses. I always add extra spices to compensate for no molasses flavor.

I have a great recipe for candied ginger cookies which originally used all my allergy ingredients (gluten flour, eggs, dairy, vanilla, nutmeg). So I substituted gluten-free flour, flax meal liquid, dairy free shortening, ginger/peach flavoring, cinnamon, cloves and cardamon. Those were fantastic, spicy ginger cookies. I seldom have the exact recipe I need for the cooky I want. So I just substitute whatever I need to prevent allergy reactions.

[kareng]

I have a recipe for a "spice" cookie. It's a bit soft and has ginger, cinnamon & clove. I'll try to post it tomorrow. It's on the main computer. There is a kid on it pretending to do homework.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Thank you burdee and kareng! If you can both post those recipes when you find them that would be great. I have googled gluten free ginger cookie recipes to no avail. Found lots of recipes but every single one has molasses and dairy too. It's good to know I can try subbing other sugars if need be.

[kareng]

You could experiment with this. Hopefully it doesn't have anything you can't have or easily substitiute.

Pudding Spice Cookies

1 cup soft butter or butter flavor Crisco

[burdee]

Thank you burdee and kareng! If you can both post those recipes when you find them that would be great.

I found this recipe (before my substitutions) on a tub of crystalized ginger. If you want to use raw, fresh ginger, maybe you could grate that (minus the peel) and substitute fresh ginger for crystalized ginger. Here's my allergy free version of the recipe:

GINGER SNAPS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine and beat well:

1 Tablespoon ground flax meal dissolved in 3 T. hot water (let stand 5 minutes before adding to wet ingredients), instead of one egg

3/4 c. Spectrum Naturals shortening (can sub half dairy/soy free Earth Balance buttery spread)

1 cup sugar (beet)

1/4 cup agave (instead of molasses)

Mix together and add to wet ingredients:

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups gluten free flour (I used 1-1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill flour blend and 1/2 c. buckwheat flour to add a heartier flavor)

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardomom

1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum

4 ounces Crystalized Ginger (coarsely chopped)

1/2-1 cup finely chopped pecans (or whatever nut you tolerate)

Mix well and chill for 1 hour. Form into 1" balls, roll in sugar and place on greased cookie sheet 2" apart.* (I use Pam for Grills because it doesn't contain any soy or I just line my sheets with parchment paper.) Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on cooky racks or marble cutting board or wax paper lined tile kitchen counter.

*I used a fork dipped in water to press (criss-cross) fork tine patterns in the cookies and sprinkled with sugar (like peanut butter cooky recipes). Since I pressed the cookies before baking, I only needed to leave about 1-1/2 inches between cooky dough.

The recipe makes 36, but I got more by making smaller cookies.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I found this recipe (before my substitutions) on a tub of crystalized ginger. If you want to use raw, fresh ginger, maybe you could grate that (minus the peel) and substitute fresh ginger for crystalized ginger. Here's my allergy free version of the recipe:

GINGER SNAPS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine and beat well:

1 Tablespoon ground flax meal dissolved in 3 T. hot water (let stand 5 minutes before adding to wet ingredients), instead of one egg

3/4 c. Spectrum Naturals shortening (can sub half dairy/soy free Earth Balance buttery spread)

1 cup sugar (beet)

1/4 cup agave (instead of molasses)

Mix together and add to wet ingredients:

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups gluten free flour (I used 1-1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill flour blend and 1/2 c. buckwheat flour to add a heartier flavor)

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardomom

1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum

4 ounces Crystalized Ginger (coarsely chopped)

1/2-1 cup finely chopped pecans (or whatever nut you tolerate)

Mix well and chill for 1 hour. Form into 1" balls, roll in sugar and place on greased cookie sheet 2" apart.* (I use Pam for Grills because it doesn't contain any soy or I just line my sheets with parchment paper.) Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on cooky racks or marble cutting board or wax paper lined tile kitchen counter.

*I used a fork dipped in water to press (criss-cross) fork tine patterns in the cookies and sprinkled with sugar (like peanut butter cooky recipes). Since I pressed the cookies before baking, I only needed to leave about 1-1/2 inches between cooky dough.

The recipe makes 36, but I got more by making smaller cookies.

Thank you, this is closest to what I am looking for. I do have fresh ginger and that's what I want to use. I have everything else except the agave. I think I will try using honey instead. That way i can make these this weekend without a special trip to the store. I'll try to come back and update if I try it.

[RiceGuy]

Since brown sugar is essentially ordinary white sugar with a little molasses added, then I'd think brown sugar would at least get you in the right direction, if not completely replace the molasses. Turbinado sugar is what is produced when the liquids are spun out (hence the name) of the sugar cane, so some of the naturally occurring minerals remain. Not sure about the type of ginger you have though. As I understand it, crystallized and ground ginger are not interchangeable in recipes, but I've not read what the fresh stuff would be most appropriate for.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Since brown sugar is essentially ordinary white sugar with a little molasses added, then I'd think brown sugar would at least get you in the right direction, if not completely replace the molasses. Turbinado sugar is what is produced when the liquids are spun out (hence the name) of the sugar cane, so some of the naturally occurring minerals remain. Not sure about the type of ginger you have though. As I understand it, crystallized and ground ginger are not interchangeable in recipes, but I've not read what the fresh stuff would be most appropriate for.

Thanks Rice Guy. Yeah, I have fresh ginger root, not powdered or crystallized. I use it to make tea and for cooking stir fry type recipes. I'll have to do a search and see if there are conversion rates between the different forms. The fresh stuff is much more potent than ground ginger. I've never tried crystallized ginger so I don't know how they compare.

[burdee]

Thank you, this is closest to what I am looking for. I do have fresh ginger and that's what I want to use. I have everything else except the agave. I think I will try using honey instead. That way i can make these this weekend without a special trip to the store. I'll try to come back and update if I try it.

You can easily sub honey for molasses. Actually the consistency of honey is closer to the consistency of molasses than agave. So honey should work well. Honey could also add the extra sweetness which you may need if you use grated fresh ginger.