Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread men are such a Christmas classic and it’s about time I finally got around to sharing a recipe!

I’ve always loved gingerbread cookies but I’m not so much of a fan of the cracker-like ones so I made these to be a slightly softer cookie. If you do prefer a crispier cookie just roll the dough a bit thinner than listed and even bake a little longer if needed.

I made these cookies to be a little more mild on the molasses flavor so they’ll still be kid friendly.

You’ll that the dough was easy to work with and doesn’t need a long time to chill.

These are so good and definitely a cookie that both young and old alike will love! Plus they’re so fun to decorate, every holiday season you need to decorate at least one batch of cookies right?

My kids got my first test batch to decorate and I gave them tons of sprinkles to decorate and they were in Heaven!

And who doesn’t love the scent of gingerbread cookies baking? It is Heavenly!

I hope these make it to your holiday cookie tray! The are such a delicious tradition and we all need a delicious, reliable gingerbread cookie recipe.

Gingerbread Cookies
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: 24 four-inch cookies

Ingredients

•     10 Tablespoons (2/3 cup; 145g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
•     1 large egg, at room temperature
•     2/3 cup (200g) unsulphured molasses
•     3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     3 and 1/2 cups (437g) all-purpose flour, (spoon & leveled)
•     1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•     1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
•     1 Tablespoon ground ginger (yes, 1 full Tablespoon!)
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
•     1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
•     optional: easy cookie icing or royal icing

Instructions

1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium high speed until combined and creamy-looking. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Next, beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The butter may separate; that’s ok.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky. Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and pat down to create a disc shape. Please see photo and description above in my post. Chill discs for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
4. Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Don’t be afraid to continually flour the work surface as needed- this dough can be sticky. Roll out disc until 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. Repeat with remaining disc of dough.
5. Bake cookies for about 9-10 minutes. If your cookie cutters are smaller than 4 inches, bake for about 8 minutes. If your cookie cutters are larger than 4 inches, bake for about 11 minutes. My oven has hot spots and yours may too- so be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time.
6. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, decorate as desired.
7. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Gingerbread Cookies #Gingerbread #Cookies Cookie Recipes Chocolate Chip, Cookie Recipes Easy, Cookie Recipes Christmas, Cookie Recipes Keto, Cookie Recipes From Scratch, Cookie Recipes Sugar, Cookie Recipes Peanut Butter, Cookie Recipes Best, Cookie Recipes Unique, Cookie Recipes Snickerdoodle, Cookie Recipes Oatmeal, Cookie Recipes Healthy, Cookie Recipes With Cake Mix, Cookie Recipes Lemon, Cookie Recipes M&m, Cookie Recipes Monster, Cookie Recipes Italian, Cookie Recipes Simple, Cookie Recipes Shortbread, Cookie Recipes No Bake, Cookie Recipes Fall, Cookie Recipes Homemade, Cookie Recipes Cream Cheese, Cookie Recipes Cut Out, Cookie Recipes Chewy, Cookie Recipes For Kids, Cookie Recipes Creative, Cookie Recipes Videos, Cookie Recipes Holiday, Cookie Recipes Brownie, Cookie Recipes Vegan, Cookie Recipes Oreo, Cookie Recipes No Eggs, Cookie Recipes Pumpkin, Cookie Recipes Gluten Free, Cookie Recipes Bar, Cookie Recipes Coconut, Cookie Recipes Summer, Cookie Recipes Soft, Cookie Recipes Fun, Cookie Recipes Halloween, Cookie Recipes Cowboy, Cookie Recipes For Decorating, Gingerbread Cookies #Gingerbread #Cookies