What You’ll Need To Make Gingerbread Cookies
- Flour: Forms the base of the dough, providing structure and stability to the cookies.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise.
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, black pepper: Infuse the cookies with warm, aromatic spices, giving them that classic gingerbread flavor.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the cookies, ensuring they are tender yet crispy.
- Granulated and dark brown sugar: Sweeten the dough and contribute to its moisture.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together, adding structure and helping the cookies hold their shape.
- Molasses: Imparts hints of caramel and toffee flavors and adds moisture to the cookies.
- Royal icing or store-bought icing: Used for decorating.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the egg and molasses.
Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
The dough will be quite sticky.
Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to a few days. (At this point, the cookie dough can be also frozen for up to 3 months.)
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Dust more flour over the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thick.
Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, then let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until set before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Use royal icing or store-bought icing to decorate the cookies.
Gingerbread Cookies
Makes about 45 cookies Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 50 Minutes, plus at least 1 hour to chill the dough and time to ice the cookies- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons unsulphured molasses, such as Grandma’s Original
- Royal icing or store-bought icing, for decorating
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and molasses.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Divide the dough in half and shape into two discs. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour or up to three days.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F ; set two racks near the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If the dough has been in the fridge for longer than an hour, you'll need to let it sit out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes and knead it briefly until it is supple enough to roll.) Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust more flour over the dough. Roll, turning and adding more flour under and over the dough as necessary, to about 1/8-inch thick (or for softer cookies, roll to 1/4-inch thick). Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, using a spatula if necessary. Gather the dough scraps and knead into a ball, then roll out and cut again, adding more flour as necessary. Repeat until scraps are used up.
Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, for 8 to 10 minutes or until they feel firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for several minutes until set, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Shape it into 2 discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, thaw the dough until pliable and proceed with the recipe. The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Once cooled, store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or foil. Before serving, let the cookies thaw to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 cookie without icing
Calories: 78, Fat: 3 g, Saturated fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 11 g, Sugar: 6 g, Fiber: 0 g, Protein: 1 g, Sodium: 73 mg, Cholesterol: 12 mg
