Best storebought gingersnap cookie? (moved from Home Cooking board)

[MaggieRSN]

For coffee?

For baking (e.g., piecrusts)?

[teacat]

I'm very late responding, but as a lover of both ginger cookies and a good deal, I must recommend Dare Breaktime Ginger Cookies :P They have them at my Associated and Met supermarkets in Queens. They're 1.29 and well spiced. They're on the hard side but that means they're great for dipping and last longer. Hope you've found your perfect gingersnap =)

[gourmetlouie]

My wife and myself love Ivins Spiced Wafers available online from Aruntx Premium Shopping Marketplace. Ivins Spiced Wafers are a tasty treat.
http://aruntx.com/

[Chew on That]

Trader Joe's brand ginger snaps!!

[divamon]

I love Peek Freans Ginger Crisps. They're very thin and crispy and really, really spicy. I also like the TJ's triple ginger cookies - SO GOOD!

[mands917]

I like Archway Gingersnaps in the bag at the grocery store. But specialty stores like Williams-Sonoma have wonderful Moravian Ginger Spice cookies.

[maria lorraine]

Yes, it's the Old Salem Moravian Ginger Spice cookies I referred to above.

My favorite ginger cookie for YEARS. But then TJs 3-Ginger Cookies came along,
and I found a new favorite.

[justagthing]

I miss the old Pogens gingersnaps. They use to be in the shapes of animals if I recall correctly. If anyone knows of something similar to that, fill me in.

[Caroline1]

Okay. You gotta promise not to laugh. The very best gingersnaps I have had in my adult life come from WalMart. Don't know the name, but they're super cheap and come in one of those paper bag packages. The way I tell which are the ones I want is by reading the ingredients. They are the ONLY gingersnaps I've ever seen that include black pepper in the recipe. Really exceptional.

You can laugh now... :-)

[btnfood]

I think that those are the Stauffer's gingersnaps that I mentioned above ( I find them in Target). They are indeed exceptional and surprisingly spicy for such a mass-market item.

[twh1475]

Hey Caroline1 & btnfood,
Yes those are from Stauffer's (lol..another Pennsylvania company), Same company that makes Chocolate Stars @ Christmas. They also make Lemon Snaps and Cinnamon Snaps. With all these cookie and snack food companies in PA it's a wonder that we pensylvanians don't weigh 300 ibs...LOL

Tim

[MakingSense]

Add another one for Pennsylvania - Ivins Famous Spiced Wafers carried by the Acme stores, the Albertson's in the Delmarva region on the East Coast.
Ivins have been around for more than 100 years in Eastern PA. The company went out of business briefly, was bought by somebody and now seems to be owned by Albertson's. They only make them for a few months each year. Terrific, spicy, not sweet. We stock up before they're gone until the next Fall.

[LadyTron]

Oh yeah, Ivan's are great, too! I can never remember the name of them. I just know to look for the orange and black packaging which will either bring me to Sweetzels or Ivan's.

[maria lorraine]

Black pepper in gingersnaps sounds fantastic. I've only come across that once before.
Sounds like it would contribute to the ginger zinginess without registering as pepper.
Even white pepper.

Anyone, Caroline1, have a recipe?

[btnfood]

Maida Heatter is notorious for using black pepper in her baked goods. I would consult her books as she has quite a few gingersnap recipes.

[maria lorraine]

That was a good guess, btnfood. Recipe link below.

[Caroline1]

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help me track down the gingersnaps with black pepper. I'm looking!! Besides tasting fantastic, I *intended* to use some of them for sauerbraten, but alas, I didn't stop muching in time. When I find them again, I'll sock up!

[maria lorraine]

Here's Maida Heatter's recipe for gingersnaps that uses black pepper:
http://books.google.com/books?id=veq4n8lhEVMC&pg=PA257&lpg=PA257&dq=gingersnaps+%22black+pepper%22+allspice&source=web&ots=s5HbnMw7oS&sig=yoeC23ZKnYoWwmay_U10TG935Pc

And here's Chez Panisse's gingersnap recipe, also with black pepper:
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archi...

[Caroline1]

Thanks, Maria Lorraine! Just in time for Christmas baking.

[kjmp]

Does your WalMart still carry them? They are NOT Stouffer's. My Walmart had them up until about 7-8 months ago. I took the tag off the shelf to see if I could find who made them, but never could. I emailed WalMart, but no reply. They sold here in Texas for 1.29 a bag. They were so good. Let me know if your WalMart carries them. We have been on a search, and like the Anna ones, but they are pricy.

[spicedish]

The TJ's triple ginger are great (I crumble them and put them in homemade ginger ice cream) they also have a great gluten free ginger snap that is a little more mellow and works great for crusts.

[anzu]

If you have a Whole Foods near you that has a bulk section, I'm addicted to the ones that they have in the bulk bins section (in Palo Alto) for $4.99 a pound. They are also triple ginger cookies, similar to the one at TJs, but imo, with a more intense ginger flavor. It has a piece of crystalized ginger in it. I also like it, b/c I can get as little (or as much) as I want. I need to get some to mix in with pumpkin to make a ravioli filling. . ..

[mamaciita]

My HARDCORE German father-in-law swears by the ones he buys at the Family Dollar.

[ThisNThat]

Do you have Cost Plus World Market where you live? They have a huge round tin (red) filled with gingersnaps like Anna's, but maybe even a little spicier. They are nice with coffee -very delicate. I haven't baked with them. It's quite a deal - about $9.99 but the tin is HUGE. Enjoy!

[MaggieRSN]

I really don't know whether we do, This... I'm a fairly recent transplant from another part of the state. But I'll check the yellow pages. Those sound good; I like delicate, thin, crispy ones the best. I do have a favorite. I can't remember the brand, though. Something either Canadian or French. I know the package when I see it, though! Only one of the supermarkets around here carries it, and I'm not there very much.

[Louisiana Lady]

These Swedish Gingersnaps (Pepparkakor) you described are a favorite of mine to use in some of my Cheesecake Recipes. The crust pairs well with my Lemon-Marscarpone Cheesecake filling and Pumpkin-Walnut filling. At 30 calories for 6 cookies I also use them with my afternoon coffee-cookie break.

[oakjoan]

My favorite gingersnap is made by McVitties. I think it's called a "ginger biscuit". It's made in Europe, I think, and comes ina blue and orange-wrapped tube-shaped package. I have seen it at both a sort of snooty local grocery that has an "English Food" section (mostly awful stuff) and at a local Indian market. I think they're popular in India since being introduced by the Brits.

The wafers are verrrry crispy and quite hot and spicy. I love them. I think they're popular because they can stand up to being dipped into tea.

They also make great pie crust. I think I also have found them at Cost Plus.

[MaggieRSN]

Thank you, everybody. I think I'm going to have a little gingersnap challenge, right here in my kitchen, when I sit down with my coffee, and test out your favorite brands. I love ginger any time, any form, with most every food I can think of. All of these you've mentioned sound delicious, and I don't think I've ever seen any of them. So I'd better check them out. ;-)

[twh1475]

Sweetzels makes gingersnaps and spiced wafers, I think the spiced are better. If you can't find in your area here's their info :
Sweetzels Cookies
Skippack, PA 19474
For Mail Orders: 1-800-545-4891

PS - You said you really like ginger have you tried Ginger Altoids?? very intense!

Tim

[MaggieRSN]

Thanks, Tim! You can bet I'll be checking that one out. They know how to do these things right in Pennsylvania. ;-)

No, I like peppermint Altoids, but I haven't seen the ginger yet! I'll be looking for those!

[Anne H]

I'll second the Ginger Altoids. Really really good, a little hard to find.

[twh1475]

Haven't seen them lately, hope they aren't discontinued!!!! Think I last bought at Target?

Tim

[Uncle Ira]

I keep seeing magazine ads for the Ginger Altoids but I've never been able to find them in any stores, anywhere. I’d love to give them a try....

Uncle Ira

[twh1475]

Hey Uncle Ira,
I haven't seen the Ginger Altoids lately, but I did find Newman's Own Organic Ginger Mints and Cinnnamon Mints, both are really good, found in the Organic/Health Foods section of grocery store. Come in little metal tins just like Altoids.

Tim

[smartie]

ooh McVities Ginger Snaps. My Brit section doesn't sell them, only the milk chocolate and regular digestives and occasionally Rich Tea biccies which are great for dunking.
Those McVities Ginger Snaps make the best cheesecake base ever.

[benhalterci]

Those biscuits are by McVities and are called Ginger Nobs. I always bring a pack back with me whenever I go home to the UK. Along with Rich Tea and HobNobs our biscuits are the envy of the world:))

[KingsKetz]

If that's Trader Joe's triple gingersnap - dried ginger, grated ginger AND crystallized ginger - I'll agree. It's fabulous!

[LindaWhit]

Agreed - hands down, the Triple Gingersnap from TJs are the best I've tasted. I've gotten many people addicted to them. While I haven't done it, these cookies would be fabulous ground up and used for a gingersnap crust.

[sweetTooth]

Hear hear! I love TJs Triple Gingersnaps too and yes, have gotten family addicted to them.

[maria lorraine]

This is my vote.

I've sampled widely, baked Triple-Ginger Cookies, and when I first had a few of these TJ Triple-Ginger Cookies (each one is about the size of a quarter), it was like falling in love. I ate far too many over the next few days.

Will admit I also love the very thin Moravian Ginger Cookies, from near Winston Salem, that come in a tube. But they are a bit pricey and precious. But very spicy -- a good thing.

[Gingerleen]

TJs also has a Gluten-Free Ginger Snap that's pretty good too.

[kathyyl]

Because of this thread alone: I went out to the TJ's in NYC's Union Square, waited in the crazy holiday lines for half and hour just to get a box of these gingersnaps...and omg, they're soooo worth it! hehe. Bite-size (a real danger in my opinion, cause you end up eating more!), and crunchy all the way though, the ginger flavour is predominate front and center, I loved biting into the crystallized pieces!

I wiped out the whole container over the course of three hours...
...now I'll have to go wait in line again tomorrow ;)

[sweetTooth]

I hope you're not going to waste a rare and painful trip to TJs just for a box of (amazing as they are) triple ginger cookies. May I recommend that you also grab these while you're at it:

Scan their delectable range of boxed chocolates, truffles. Ask about those that are only available around the holidays. TJs boxed chocolates are much cheaper than say Godiva or Leonidas and just as satisfying.
Fruit and Nut Loaf - this is delicious spread liberally with some Mascarpone
Orange Dundee Marmalade
Various candied or spiced nuts
Ok, I'll stop.. I might be going off-topic. But please... ..don't get just a box of cookies at TJs! :)

[weezycom]

Trader Joe's makes a great mini gingersnap that almost burns the tongue, it's so gingery.

[LJS]

I love the one's IKEA imports from Sweden. They are called Anna's and come in about 4 different flavours, including the best gingersnaps I have ever tasted. They made a terrific crust for an apple-cream pie.

[piccola]

I was just going to mention these! Incidentally, how do you make the apple-cream pie?

[Eric in NJ]

Our A&P has what they call Spiced Wafers (taste like G'Snaps to me) by a company called Sweetzels. We've bought about 6 boxes they are that good.

[LadyTron]

Yeah Sweetzels Spiced wafers are really good. We always had a box of them in the house when we were kids.

I was thinking of using them to make a pie crust. It would be so good with a chocolate torte or pumpkin pie.

[btnfood]

I second Anna's -they are superb for eating and piecrusts.

My supermarket backup brand is Stauffer's, which I find much more spicy and crisp than other brands.

[roma_girl]

Annas can sometimes be found at Costco I believe. I think I've seen them in our Seattle store.

[smartie]

they ought to have Anna's at Ikea if you have one near you.

[BobB]

Some Shaw's supermarkets sell them here in Boston.

[justagthing]

Oddly enough I saw Anna's at Big Lots/Pic N' Save.

[Ellen]

I looove Annas. I found them at Big Lots for $1 a box.