Gingersnap Gravy

Gingersnaps do the work of a roux to thicken this gravy, so there’s no need to cook butter and flour, gradually whisk in liquid and worry about lumps. The crushed cookies are simply added to the base, then simmered until dissolved. We swiped the idea from German-American versions of Sauerbraten, for which gingersnap gravy is a common accompaniment. For heightened savoriness, we include dried mushrooms and add a little soy at the end. These umami-rich ingredients are especially helpful if you don’t have turkey drippings to enrich the gravy. Widely available Mi-Del gingersnaps work well because they are flavored only with ginger. Cookies containing cinnamon and other spices made the gravy taste like, well, spice cookies. You can make the base a few days in advance, stopping short of thickening with the gingersnaps. Let cool and refrigerate, then when you’re ready to serve, reheat in a saucepan and add the gingersnaps, soy sauce and drippings (if using) as directed.