Williamsburg Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies

User Reviews

5.0

102 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    30 mins

  • Cook Time

    30 mins

  • Total Time

    40 mins

  • Servings

    30 large cookies

  • Calories

    195 kcal

  • Cuisine

    American

Williamsburg Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies

These old-fashioned Williamsburg gingerbread cookies (or "ginger cakes") have been loved for generations.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup molasses (I use Grandma's brand)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus additional 1 -1 ½ cups of flour, as needed, to form a workable dough)
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Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
  3. Add softened butter, evaporated milk, and molasses. With an electric mixer, start on the lowest speed so that the liquid doesn’t splash out of the bowl. Gradually increase the speed until the butter and sugar are creamed together and completely smooth.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add 4 cups of flour (one cup at a time), mixing until the flour is incorporated.
  5. The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to your fingers, so if it’s still too wet and sticky, add additional flour (½ cup at a time), just until a fairly stiff dough comes together.
  6. When the dough is smooth, roll it out to ½-inch thickness on a very well-floured surface.
  7. Use a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter (or other cookie cutter) to cut the dough into round shapes. Continue to add as much flour as necessary to the dough, the rolling pin, and the cookie cutters to prevent the dough from sticking. Place shapes onto prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown but still soft. Make sure that you don't bake them for too long or they will become hard and crispy. To maintain the soft, chewy, cake-like texture, pull them out of the often while they're still soft and let them firm up slightly while they cool.
  9. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • The classic Williamsburg gingerbread cakes are large, round cookies without any icing or other decorations. That said, the thick, chewy cookies do make a great base for traditional Christmas frostings and decorations! If you (or your kids) prefer soft gingerbread cookies with icing, then I suggest preparing a batch of royal icing and getting creative!
  • Recipe adapted from MakingHistoryNow.com

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1large cookie Calories 195kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 18mg (6%) Sodium 195mg (8%) Potassium 203mg (6%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 200IU (4%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 40mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 30large cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 195 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1large cookie
Calories 195kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 195mg 8%
Potassium 203mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 200IU 4%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 40mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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5.0

102 reviews
Excellent

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