Gingerbread Cookies
Crisp, deeply spiced gingerbread cookies made with plenty of ginger and dark molasses. The egg-free dough rolls out easily and holds its shape, making it perfect for gingerbread men and decorating with royal icing. Roll the dough ¼" thick for cookies with a slightly chewy center, or ⅛" for crisp cookies with a real snap. The exact yield will vary depending on the size of your cutters and how thick you roll the dough.
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Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 10 ounces all purpose flour (2 cups)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 ounces granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 4 ounces molasses (⅓ cup)
Decorations (optional)
- ⅓ recipe Royal Icing
- Christmas Sprinkles
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together 10 ounces all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Set the bowl aside.
- In a mixer bowl, cream 6 ounces unsalted butter with 4 ounces granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and beater. Add 4 ounces molasses and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl and beater. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until no loose flour remains. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it together. Chill at least 1 hour before rolling. (See note)
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to ¼" thick for a slightly chewy cookie or roll to ⅛" thick for a very crisp cookie. Use a cookie cutter to cut as many cookies as you can. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
- Arrange the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving ½" between cookies.
- Bake until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges and the dough is set, about 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness and shape of the cookie. For a softer cookie bake until the edges are set but the center is still a little soft. For a crisp cookie, bake until the center is set. The exact time will vary based on the shape and thickness of the cookies.
- Cool to room temperature on the baking sheet. Decorate as desired.
- The cookies will keep in an air tight container for 2 weeks.
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Equipment
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Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
At this point the dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days for frozen for up to a month. Return the dough to room temperature before rolling.
The cookie cut outs can be frozen on the tray then transferred to freezer bags. Remove the desired number of cookies as you're ready to bake. The cookies can go straight from the freezer to the oven. You may need an extra minute or two in the oven for frozen cookies.
Storage
The baked cookies will keep in an air tight container for 2 weeks. If you have decorated the cookies, store them with a layer of parchment or wax paper between to preserve the decoration. Baked, undecorated cookies can be frozen for a month. Defrost before decorating. Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!