Gingersnaps

Gingersnaps are crisp, spiced biscuits, often flavoured with ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves. The name is especially common in North America; ginger nuts are a closely related British biscuit, usually firm enough to dunk in tea.

Put them in an airtight tin or container once cool, and keep it somewhere dry. If they soften, spread them on a baking tray and warm them at 150 °C for about 5 minutes, then let them cool before sealing them away.

Yes. Freeze them in a sealed container or freezer bag, with baking paper between layers if you want to stop them sticking together. Thaw them at room temperature while still wrapped, then uncover once they have warmed to avoid condensation softening the biscuits.

They are made for dunking in tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Crumble them over yoghurt or stewed apples, or use them as a crunchy base for a cheesecake.

Crush the biscuits finely, mix the crumbs with melted butter, then press the mixture firmly into the tin. Chill it until set before adding the filling; the spiced crumbs work particularly well with baked apple, pear or citrus flavours.

For a cheesecake base or crumb topping, ginger nuts are the closest swap. If you use plain digestive biscuits instead, add a little ground ginger and cinnamon to bring back some of the warmth.

Yes: crush them into fine crumbs and use them in place of digestive biscuits for a spiced crust. Taste the filling before adding extra spices, as the biscuits already bring a strong ginger flavour.