Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
User Reviews
5
Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Description
This recipe combines all-purpose flour with baking soda and ground spices including ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Butter and brown sugar are creamed together before adding molasses, egg, and vanilla, resulting in a sticky dough. Gradual incorporation of the flour mixture forms the dough, which is divided, shaped into disks, and thoroughly chilled for several hours or overnight.
Chilling is critical because the dough is soft and sticky when warm, making it difficult to roll. Rolling the chilled dough to a quarter-inch thickness and cutting shapes allows for even baking. The cookies bake at 350°F on parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking.
These gingerbread cookies have warm aromatic spices and a molasses note, suitable for decorating with royal icing to create festive designs. Adjusting spice levels can tailor the flavor profile to taste, from mild to more robust or even adding black pepper for a unique kick.
Using a kitchen scale for precise flour measurement prevents dry, dense cookies. Different frosting options, such as buttercream, can also be used if royal icing is not preferred.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup butter room temperature, (170g, unsalted
- ¾ cup brown sugar 165g, light; firmly packed
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses (120mL)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5mL)
- royal icing for decorating
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes Add in the molasses, then the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture gradually until a nice dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into disks. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight. (This step is important because the dough gets soft quickly and is very sticky when soft, so it really needs to be thoroughly chilled.)
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough at a time to about ¼-inch in thickness. Dip the cookie cutter shapes of your choice in flour and cut out as many as you can. Carefully transfer each cutout to a baking sheet, leaving an inch between them. Reroll the scraps once.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Decoration:
- Place your icing of choice in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or with the tip snipped off.
- Pipe decorations onto the cooled cookies with the icing.
- Attach sprinkles and or candies for added visual interest while the icing is still wet. Let the cookies sit until the icing is dry, 1 to 2 hours.
Notes
- Weigh flour with a kitchen scale for accurate measurement; spoon and level if no scale is available.
- Chilling the dough thoroughly for 4 hours or overnight is essential for workable consistency and better cookie shape.
- If piping icing is needed but no piping bags are available, use a zip-top bag with a corner cut off as a substitute.
- Adjust spices in the dough to your preference, increasing ginger for spiciness or reducing for milder taste; black pepper adds an unusual but pleasant heat.
- Buttercream frosting can be used as an alternative to royal icing, though it requires longer setting time.
- For quicker cookies, try adding these spices to a no-spread sugar cookie recipe instead.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 14servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 316 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 316kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 49g | 16% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 39mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 154mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 237mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 27g | 54% |
| Vitamin A | 324IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.01mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 46mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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