Brandy Snaps

I serve these outstanding treats on very special occasions. They’re fiddly to make - you’ll need to move fast because they set fast - but they’re absolutely worth the effort! Because they’re delicate, they don’t transport well. They’re too rich to serve as part of a cookie tray, but are perfect on their own, as a small dessert. I absolutely guarantee that everyone will want seconds and possibly even thirds! This excellent recipe originates with the late, great Craig Claiborne, in the New York Times Cookbook. It’s a sweet treat that’s sure to be a hit at any dinner party - and it’s a clear favorite of mine. 

Brandy Snaps:

To Prepare the Snaps:

¼ c. light corn syrup
¼ c. molasses
½ c. butter (do not use margarine)
1 c. sifted all-purpose flour
⅔ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. brandy

Preheat oven to 300 deg. F. Heat syrup and molasses just to boiling. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until melted. Sift flour together with sugar and ginger. Add to molasses mixture, combining well. Stir in brandy. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and drop ½-to-¾ tsp. (no more!) of this mixture on the sheet, spacing about 4 in. apart (A large baking sheet will hold just 4 or 5 snaps for this recipe to work best). 

Bake 8-to-10 min. Remove baking sheet from oven and let snaps firm slightly for about 30 sec. Gently lift each snap from hot baking sheet using a metal lifter, quickly rolling each over greased ⅜-in. round dowels. Cool snaps on dowels about 1 min. Store cooled, unfilled snaps in airtight container at room temperature. Immediately before serving, pipe in cream filling. 

To Prepare the Filling:

1 c. heavy cream (“whipping” cream)
¼ c. icing sugar (“confectioners” sugar or “powdered” sugar)
2 tbsp. brandy

Beat whipping cream until it forms soft peaks, adding icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in brandy. Pipe into cooled, hardened snaps. Serve at once. May also be filled with Buttercream, (see the Index under Frosting), with each end dipped into melted chocolate.