Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
User Reviews
4.6
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Description
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are made by mixing flour with brown sugar, baking soda, and warm spices including cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Butter is integrated until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then molasses and milk bind the dough. After chilling the dough between parchment sheets, it is rolled out and cut into shapes before baking. The chilling helps maintain shape and results in a tender, chewy texture upon baking.
The flavor highlights the deep sweetness of molasses softened by butter, with a warm, spicy note from the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The cookies bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until set but still soft to the touch, preserving chewiness rather than crispness.
These gingerbread cookies are ideal for decorating with icing, which can be piped on once cooled. The included icing contains powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt, allowing for easy spreading or piping. They hold their shape and can be stacked gently after icing sets without hardening as much as royal icing.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed, dark or light
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves ground
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup molasses unsulphured, not black strap
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- With an electric mixer (stand or handheld), stir together the flour, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the butter and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses and milk, and mix on low speed until the dough is evenly combined, 30-45 seconds.
- Scrape the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll or press the dough ¼-inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment paper, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Or refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one dough sheet from the freezer or refrigerator and place on the counter. Peel off the top parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into gingerbread people (or you can use a round cutter to cut circle cookies). Work quickly; the dough softens and can be harder to work with the longer it's out of the refrigerator.
- Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing about an inch apart. You can use a thin metal spatula to help transfer the cookies to the baking sheets. If the dough is sticking and hard to peel up after cutting into shapes, pop the tray back in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Repeat with the remaining dough until the baking sheets are full. Because flour is not added during rolling, dough scraps can be rolled and cut as many times as necessary.
- Bake the cookies until just set, about 8 to 9 minutes. Don't overbake! Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Frost or pipe, as desired (see notes for the frosting recipe I use).
- Store the gingerbread cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Notes
- Use the provided icing recipe with powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt for decorating; adjust milk amount slightly for consistency.
- Chilling the dough helps cut clean shapes and maintains cookie shape during baking.
- Cookies remain soft and chewy rather than crunchy after baking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 167 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 cookie | |
| Calories | 167kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 140mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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