4.5 from 28 votes
Embossed Gingerbread Cookies
My adorable embossed gingerbread cookies are made with carved rolling pins for a beautifully detailed look that's practically effortless to achieve. Embossed cookies are the perfect easy Christmas cookie for busy holiday cooks.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
28 mins
Servings:
18
cookies
Calories:
141 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
wet ingredients
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar plus 2 tbsp
- 1/3 cup molasses do not use blackstrap molasses, which is very strong and bitter
- 1 large egg yolk
dry ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves ground
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ground
- 1/4 tsp salt
glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar sifted
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp water warm, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Note: the dough has a tendency to stick without parchment paper.
- Cream together the butter, sugar, and molasses, and egg yolk until well combined. Use a stand mixer like I did, or electric beaters. Scrape down the bowl to get everything evenly incorporated.
- Sift the dry ingredients together into a separate bowl and then, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until your dough starts to come together. I like to finish by hand, with a silicone spatula.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until all the floury crumbles are incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk and then wrap or cover with plastic wrap. I like to let the dough rest for 15 minutes before rolling.
- First roll out to about 1/3 inch thickness with a regular rolling pin. Then take your embossed roller or rolling pin and roll over the dough with a firm sweeping motion. Cut out your cookies and transfer the dough to your baking sheet. Reform the dough and re-roll as necessary.
- Bake the cookies in your pre-heated oven for about 8 minutes. If your cookies are thicker than mine, they might take a couple more minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before glazing. Note: you don't have to glaze your cookies if you prefer them plain.
- To make the glaze whisk the glaze ingredients together until you get a smooth thin consistency. Add more water if the glaze is too thick, it should have the consistency of maple syrup.
- Brush the tops of the cooled cookies with the glaze. Do a test cookie to make sure the glaze is thin enough that the embossed designs show through after glazing. Let the cookies dry thoroughly before serving or storing. Note: the glaze will become more translucent as it dries.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- *the gingerbread dough is slightly tweaked from Yotam Ottolenghi's Sweet
- Cookies will keep up to a week at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Calories
141kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
23g
(8%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
5g
(8%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
22mg
(7%)
Sodium
68mg
(3%)
Potassium
119mg
(3%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
14g
(28%)
Vitamin A
150IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
22mg
(2%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 18 cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 141
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 141kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 22mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 68mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 119mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 150IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 22mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.