4.5 from 42 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
20 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 plus 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 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 plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp warm water 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
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
Trans Fat
1g
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: 18cookies
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.