Gingersnap cookies are most commonly sweetened with molasses, in addition to sugar, and then flavored with ginger. The result is a crispy, dark cookie with a rich spicy flavor. Gingersnap recipes usually contain flour, powdered ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, molasses, cloves and brown sugar. The Gingersnap is a popular snack food especially around the holidays, and is often served with coffee or tea for dipping.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-gingersnaps.html

One of the most common Gingersnap recipe variations is the soft Gingersnap cookie. Traditional Gingersnap cookies are crisp. The crisp version of the Gingersnap is more popular for snacking and dipping especially in Europe and the soft version is often sweeter and used as a dessert or treat. The cookies can be rolled in sugar before baking to produce a sweeter flavor or made with real chopped ginger to produce a richer, crunchier flavor. Nuts are also a common addition to the Gingersnap cookie. Occasionally Gingersnaps are made into Gingerbread men around the holidays.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-gingersnaps.html http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-put-snap-into-gingersnap-cookies.html

Gingersnap recipes are actually so popular that in the United States the cookies have their own holiday! July 1st is National Gingersnap cookie day. No apparent reasoning can be found for choosing a summer month for such a cookie so popular at the holidays, but it is a wonderful excuse to eat as many Gingersnaps as you please.http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/National_Symbols/American_Hollidays.html