Description
Classic gingerbread cookies made with warm spices and molasses, perfect for holiday baking and decorating. These soft yet sturdy cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate with icing and sprinkles.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses or dark molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
For the Icing:
Instructions
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt into a medium bowl, ensuring they are well combined and free of lumps.
- Cream Butter and Sweeteners: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, brown sugar, and molasses until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium/high speed.
- Add Egg: Add the egg to the butter mixture and continue beating for 1 minute until well incorporated.
- Combine Dough: Add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on medium/low speed until just combined; the dough will be soft and moist.
- Chill Dough: Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. If sticky, dust with flour to handle easily. Divide dough into 3 pieces, flatten each into a disk, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours until firm.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375 ̊F (190°C) with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Roll and Cut: Roll out one disk of dough on a well-floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness, turning frequently to prevent sticking. Use 4 to 5-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Gather scraps and chill again before re-rolling.
- Bake Cookies: Place cookies on prepared baking sheets at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are barely turning brown. Avoid over-baking for softer cookies.
- Cool: Transfer baked cookies to cooling racks and let cool completely.
- Decorate (Optional): Stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make icing. Adjust consistency by adding powdered sugar or milk as needed. Decorate cooled cookies using piping bags or squeeze bottles. Let icing set before storing.
- Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- For thicker icing, add more powdered sugar; for thinner, add more milk gradually.
- Use piping bags with small tips for detailed decorating or zip-top bags with a small corner cut.
- Chill dough scraps before re-rolling to maintain dough consistency and cookie shape.
- Sprinkles in various festive colors add a fun touch for decorating parties.
- Ensure butter and egg are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- Do not over-bake cookies to maintain a softer texture; they will firm as they cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
