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Welcome back to Well-Read Wednesday, where we explore recipes from our favorite culinary mysteries! Today, we’re diving into another delightful recipe from Joanne Fluke’s “Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder,” featuring Hannah Swensen, our favorite small-town baker-turned-sleuth.

These Regency Ginger Crisps are a perfect blend of history and flavor, bringing a touch of Jane Austen’s era to our modern kitchens. The combination of ginger, molasses, and brown sugar creates a complex flavor profile, while the sugar coating adds a delightful crunch.

Last week, we tried our murder-solving baker’s first recipe—Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies. To read more, pop over to my blog post Well-Read Wednesday – Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder – Part 1.

Recipe Summary

Her recipes typically serve large groups, and true to the books, a crowd always appears whenever a fresh batch comes out of the oven!

I’ll be testing several of these scrumptious recipes from The Cookie Jar in the coming weeks. I’ve scaled down each recipe to serve one or two people and adjusted some ingredients to match my taste. Let me know what you think!

• Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
• Regency Ginger Crisps
• Black and Whites
• Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights
• Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
• Lovely Lemon Bar Cookies

You can find the original recipes in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Joanne Fluke’s bestselling culinary capers, a deluxe collector’s edition was released February 25, 2025.

Regency Ginger Crisps

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white sugar in small bowl (for rolling)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (6 tablespoons stick)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 large beaten egg (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon molasses – Remember to spray measuring spoon with Pam
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 9 tablespoons (slightly more than 1/2 cup) flour

Directions

• DO NOT preheat oven—dough must be chilled before baking.
• Melt butter and mix in sugar. Let mixture cool and then add egg(s). Add baking soda, molasses, salt, and ginger. Stir thoroughly. Add flour and mix in. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. (Overnight is even better).
• When the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375°F, rack in the middle position.
• Roll dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. Roll the dough balls in white sugar. (Just dump them in the bowl with sugar and shake bowl softly to coat them.) Place them on greased cookie sheets, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten them with a spatula.
• Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on cookie sheets for no more than 1 minute, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling. (If you leave these on the cookie sheets too long, they’ll stick.)

Yield: Makes 1.5–2 dozen

Hannah’s Notes:

• Served these at Mother’s Regency Romance Club. They asked me for something from the Regency Period. Why not?
• (Tracy loves these as a bedtime snack with a glass of milk!)

A few baking tips to ensure success:

• Don’t skip the chilling time—it’s crucial for achieving the right texture
• Spray hands and spatula to keep the cookie dough from sticking—if it becomes too sticky, return dough to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes
• Watch the cookies carefully during the last few minutes of baking to avoid over-browning
• Remember to transfer them quickly from the baking sheet to prevent sticking

The recipe yields about 1.5–2 dozen cookies, making it perfect for small gatherings or keeping a stash in your cookie jar. Just be warned—these crispy, gingery delights tend to disappear quickly!

Recipe Review

I haven’t tried many recipes with molasses as a main ingredient, so I wasn’t sure how I would like these. I do love gingerbread, which made me optimistic about this recipe. And I wasn’t disappointed! The cookie centers are soft while the edges have a bit of crunch. The flavor is bold without being overpowering, and the cookies are just the right sweetness.

What I particularly love about this recipe is its versatility. While Hannah served these at her mother’s Regency Romance Club (quite fitting!), these cookies are perfect for any occasion. They’re elegant enough for afternoon tea, yet homey enough for a midnight snack with milk, as Tracy can attest!

Happy baking, mystery lovers! Next week, we’ll be exploring another recipe from our favorite amateur sleuth’s kitchen—Black and Whites. Until then, keep reading and keep baking!

Let me know what you think about the book and the Regency Ginger Crisps in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!

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Yield: 1 - 1 1/2 dozen

Regency Ginger Crisps

Print

These Regency Ginger Crisps are an elegant twist on traditional ginger cookies. Perfect for tea time or any occasion calling for a refined touch, these cookies strike an excellent balance between spice and sweetness. Their thin, crispy texture makes them ideal for dunking in tea or coffee, while their robust flavor allows them to stand beautifully on their own.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons melted butter (6 tablespoons stick)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 large beaten egg (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon molasses - Remember to spray measuring spoon with Pam
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 9 tablespoons (slightly more than 1/2 cup) flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar in small bowl (for rolling)

Instructions

1. DO NOT preheat oven—dough must be chilled before baking.
2. Melt butter and mix in sugar. Let mixture cool and then add egg(s). Add baking soda, molasses, salt, and ginger. Stir thoroughly. Add flour and mix in. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. (Overnight is even better).
3. When the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375°F, rack in the middle position.
4. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. Roll the dough balls in white sugar. (Just dump them in the bowl with sugar and shake bowl softly to coat them.) Place them on greased cookie sheets, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten them with a spatula.
5. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on cookie sheets for no more than 1 minute, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling. (If you leave these on the cookie sheets too long, they'll stick.)

Notes

Hannah's Notes:

• Served these at Mother's Regency Romance Club. They asked me for something from the Regency Period. Why not?
• (Tracy loves these as a bedtime snack with a glass of milk!)

A few baking tips to ensure success:

• Don't skip the chilling time—it's crucial for achieving the right texture
• Spray hands and spatula to keep the cookie dough from sticking—if it becomes too sticky, return dough to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes
• Watch the cookies carefully during the last few minutes of baking to avoid over-browning
• Remember to transfer them quickly from the baking sheet to prevent sticking

The recipe yields about 1.5–2 dozen cookies, making it perfect for small gatherings or keeping a stash in your cookie jar. Just be warned—these crispy, gingery delights tend to disappear quickly!