Snack Review: Sweetzels Spiced Wafers
OK, I promise not to make this into another rant about the Good Old Snacking Days. On one condition. You promise to buy some gingersnaps next time you find them.
I am not instructing you to buy Sweetzel’s Spiced Wafers in particular, but that’s not because they aren’t good. They are very, very good. However, they might not be available where you live, since they are a local speciality. As it says on their website:
Over 90 Years ago, we at Sweetzels® revived the colonial Spice and Molasses Cookie by developing a unique recipe for our Spiced Wafers. Fresh baked Spiced Wafers, warm apple cider and a glowing fire have become a favorite Philadelphia Tradition to the welcoming of fall.
They’re now available in other parts of the east and parts of the Midwest, but are apparently still only made in the fall and winter. So you want to go out right now and look for them.
I kind of have my doubts about the 90 year old recipe – the ingredients contain palm oil, which is not a very traditional American baking ingredient. But the important part of the recipe is no doubt the spice blend, and enough molasses to make a difference. These are wonderfully spicy, molasses-y, and not too sweet.
They are also hard – bite into one, or break one in half, and if you didn’t know it, you’ll learn why ‘snap’ is part of the name ‘gingersnap.’ If you are too wimpy to handle the texture, the box suggests microwaving them briefly. I thought this sounded like a terrible idea – why would I want to make a nice snappy cookie into something warm and soggy? But in the interests of science, I tried it. Fortunately, I am big enough to admit when I am wrong. They are really good that way too.
Now, Sweetzel’s Spiced Wafers may or may not be precisely gingersnaps. In one old newspaper article on their website, the owner of the company confusingly says that they are two different things, but that people in the Philadelphia area call the spiced wafers gingersnaps. So why are they are making and selling these in Philadelphia and calling them spiced wafers? And then if you Google around you will find some “Sweetzel’s Ginger Snaps” for sale in some places that are obviously the exact same cookie.
Whatever. There are definitely other spices aside from ginger in these, but if I made gingersnaps I’d put some other spices in them too. I don’t care about the details. I would just like to encourage cookie companies to try making more traditional spice cookies instead of inventing yet another obscene variety of, like, triple-stacked frosting-dipped peppermint-banana-caramel Oreos, you know?
The website also has recipes for using the cookies to make a crumb-crust like a graham cracker crust, which you could use for cheesecake or lime or lemon pie. Ooo, you know what would be fantastic? Pumpkin cheesecake… I gotta go. I have some baking to do.
10 Comments
Candy Addict » Snackerrific Roundup: Cookies Are The New Black, Chips Are Still Hip, And A Classic Is Vintage Trendy Once Again on December 19th, 2008
[...] reviews from all over the cookie globe, including a Japanese cookie, a Philadelphia classic of spiced wafers, and West Coast gourmet at an affordable price in Trader Joe’s Mexican hot chocolate [...]
cookieman on July 6th, 2009
Good review, however you, not the owner seem to be a bit confused. Sweetzels makes spiced wafers and ginger snaps, both of which are two different cookies that taste different aswell. Ginger snap is the tradional gingersnap but spiced wafer is a blend of different spices including ginger aswell as some others. Also the recipe has been the same for 90 years. At first lard was used but as times changes so dose the shortening protocal. Also with using palm oil there are ZERO trans fats.
GingerSpicedSnapWafer on January 26th, 2010
If cookieman were to look at the front of the Sweetzels box, he would notice that it reads “Sweetzels Spiced Wafers (Philadelphia’s Original Ginger Snap - Quality Since 1910)”. Hence, either cookieman or the owner of Sweetzels “seems to be a bit confused”.
In the interest of full disclosure, he should also point out that palm oil is high in saturated fat, which is just as bad as trans fat:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090415.htm
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ykntz9t
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yzma86x
K. Fox on June 22nd, 2010
Could you give me your Skippack phone number sothat I can order direct from you or pick up myself. I’m in Collegeville.
Louise Simpson on October 24th, 2010
My husband loves your spiced wafers dipped into a glass of milk as do many people. However, I recently have been buying them for him and he says they are not the same. When he dips them in the milk they do not soften like they did. They stay hard. He is very disappointed. Why would you change a good thing?
Evilvet on June 20th, 2011
you guys are all rookies. the spiced wafers that RULE are meant to be hard, you dip/dunk them in milk for about 20 seconds or more than eat them. it’s glorious. just be careful they don’t dissolve! they used to last through the winter
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Dahlia on September 3rd, 2011
This site is very cool.
Bobaloo on October 25th, 2011
A simple pleasure, unsurpassed in taste! Unbelievably addictive, great when crushed into pie crust for cheesecake. BUT, where do they go after Thanksgiving? They seem to disaappear from the supermkt shelves? Nothing like them on this planet!
Robin on December 8th, 2008
mmmm-I would totally blow my diet for just a taste of pumpkin cheesecake.
I hope you saved me some.