Gingerbread Man Cookies
User Reviews
5
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Description
The Gingerbread Man Cookies recipe features a well-spiced dough with molasses and brown sugar that yield a rich, flavorful base. The dough needs to be chilled to firm up, preventing excessive spreading and keeping the characteristic gingerbread man shape. Baking at 350°F until just done allows the cookies to maintain a modest crisp on the outside while staying firm enough to handle icing and decoration. The accompanying icing mixes powdered sugar with vanilla, milk, and corn syrup, creating a glossy finish that holds color well if food coloring is added.
The combination of spices including ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg creates the signature aromatic gingerbread flavor. These cookies are well suited for holiday celebrations and can be decorated simply with icing or more elaborately for festive occasions. Chilling the dough discs before rolling out and cutting helps maintain ideal thickness and shape during baking.
To keep the cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. The dough can be frozen for up to three months in discs, wrapped securely, and thawed in the refrigerator before rolling and baking. Fully baked cookies can also be frozen for up to three months and thawed at room temperature before serving.
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2/3 cup butter softened, unsalted
- 1 egg
- 5 Tablespoons molasses
For the icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the molasses and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, a little bit at a time, beating at medium speed until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form each one into a large disc shape. Wrap each one securely with plastic wrap, then chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rest for 10 minutes. Place each disc of dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out using a rolling pin until they are 1⁄4 inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread man cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are slightly golden and the edges are set. If you are using small cookie cutters, the baking time may be less, so keep an eye on your cookies and check closer to the 7-8 minute mark.
- Allow the cookies to cool for five minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- To make the icing, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and corn syrup to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. If the icing is too thick, you can add a bit more milk. If the icing is too thin, you can add a bit more powdered sugar. For piping onto your Gingerbread Man Cookies, you will want it just slightly thick so that it will stay in place.
- Add the icing to a small ziplock bag, and cut off a very small corner of the bag. Pipe the frosting onto the Gingerbread Man Cookies to decorate and allow to dry. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days.
Notes
- Chill the dough discs well before rolling out to prevent spreading during baking and to keep the cookie shapes intact.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets to avoid burning and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days to preserve freshness.
- Freezing: Dough discs can be frozen up to three months; thaw in the fridge before rolling and baking. Baked cookies also freeze well for three months and should be thawed at room temperature before serving.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to the icing if you want to decorate cookies with different colors.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 26Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 180kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 19mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 74mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 93mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 19g | 38% |
| Vitamin A | 157IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 23mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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