One morning last week I woke up to snow gently falling outside my window. The cat was curled up in the bend in my legs, and I thanked my lucky stars that I’m an independent, self-employed woman living in Chicago today. For all the sunshine and 75 degree days those southern Californians have, they certainly never get to experience the majesty that is a snow day.

To me, one of the best things about winter are those rare days you get to just hunker down with a good book, a cup of coffee, and a cozy blanket.

Days when even this bustling metropolis seems to slow down to a quiet and peaceful hum.

Winter days like that are just what ginger snaps were made for. That snowy morning I decided a batch of my favorite molasses ginger cookies were going to be my day’s biggest ambition. I whipped up a batch, and before I even made it through a whole French press full of coffee, I was enjoying the spicy little nuggets.

This recipe is really easy and one of my very favorites. I’ve been making it for so long, I kind of forgot I’ve never shared the recipe. I posted a photo after I baked them, and the amount of recipe requests made me realize the new year’s resolution diet fad is phasing out and people are back to their old tricks. Or, maybe like I hoped for in my piece a couple weeks ago, people are opting for vegan versions of America’s favorite comforts. At least when you’re eating these guys you don’t have to worry about cholesterol!

I’ve tried to make this recipe gluten free a couple times with no luck, but I’ll keep trying and will be sure to update it on my website when I have it perfected.

If you want to dress these up a little bit, try adding a fresh squeezed orange juice glaze and drizzling over each cookie. Just be sure to allow time for the glaze to harden before serving or boxing for a gift.

I’ll be sure to get that recipes posted to my site as well so you can just pull it up.

 

Kat Barry, a St. Joseph, Michigan native, is owner of Kat’s Hot Cakes vegan catering, and co author of “The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat Free Recipes from America’s Veggie Diner.” She also develops recipes for eHow.com, where you can find over 30 of her vegan instructional cooking videos. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Kat currently resides in Chicago, and in her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, sampling local spirits, listening to live music, and getting outdoors. Follow @katshotcakes on twitter. Kat can be reached via email at: kat@katshotcakes.com.