Gingerbread Cookies
User Reviews
5
Gingerbread Cookies
Description
This gingerbread cookie recipe starts by creaming unsalted butter with dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, then incorporating egg, vanilla extract, and molasses for moisture and flavor. Spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda for leavening, the flour mixture is carefully combined into the wet ingredients to form the cookie dough.
The dough is chilled to firm up for easier rolling and cutting into festive shapes, baked at 350°F until set with a tender crumb and slight crispness at the edges. The optional icing made from confectioners' sugar and milk allows for classic holiday decoration and added sweetness.
These cookies are suitable for seasonal celebrations and can be made ahead due to the chilling step, which improves texture and handling. The balance of spices and molasses creates the distinctive gingerbread character without overwhelming sweetness.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 tick butter at room temperature, unsalted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch cloves
For the icing:
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Combine butter and dark brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg.
- Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and process at low speed just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and form into an even rectangle. Set in the fridge to chill for 1 to 2 hours (or up to overnight, if chilling for 24 hours, let sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before rolling).
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Set a piece of parchment on a large work surface, then lightly flour the paper and rolling pin. Cut the dough in half (keep the remaining dough wrapped) and roll into a ¼ inch thick even rectangle, adding more flour as needed as you work. Use your preferred cookie cutters to cut out cookies, then place on prepared sheet pan. Reroll the scraps of dough, and repeat process, adding more flour as needed, until all of the dough has been cut out.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until set around the edges but soft in the middle. Let cool on sheet pans for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the icing. Whisk powdered sugar and milk and whisk until smooth and quite thick. You want the consistency to be stiff enough to pipe into even lines.
- Once the cookies have cooled, transfer the icing to a piping bag and decorate each cookie as desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 26cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 124 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 124kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 67mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 78mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 11g | 22% |
| Vitamin A | 119IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 0.01mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 28mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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