Spread some festive cheer this season with a fresh batch of delicious gingerbread cookies! With soft centers, crispy edges, and homemade icing, they make for the perfect gift for your loved ones. Enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa or as a sweet treat after a holiday meal!
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and of course, delicious treats! One classic holiday treat that is perfect for sharing are freshly decorated gingerbread cookies. Not only are they tasty, but they're also a fun, festive activity! Bonus: they fill your home with the warm and cozy scent of holiday spices. So roll up your sleeves, turn up the festive music, and let's get baking!
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Why You'll Love Them
- Gingerbread cookies are easy to customize. You can use different cookie cutters to make them into different shapes, and you can decorate them with icing, sprinkles, or candy to add your own personal touch.
- They are a great activity to do with family and friends! Making gingerbread cookies can be a fun and festive activity that brings everyone together. It's a great way to bond over a shared love of holiday traditions.
- They make great gifts. Gingerbread cookies are a thoughtful and delicious homemade present that can be given to friends, family, or coworkers. You can package them up in a festive box or tin and add a personalized note for an extra special touch.
Special Ingredients
While this gingerbread cookie recipe does include the basics (flour, baking soda, an egg...) there are a couple of special additions. Most notably, a full tablespoon of ground ginger. That's right, a FULL tablespoon! To be honest, you could probably add even more ginger, but a tablespoon is the perfect amount to get that extra kick of flavor.
The other major special ingredient? Molasses. It plays a crucial role in making the perfect gingerbread cookies. Be sure to use unsulfured molasses with a light flavor, such as Grandma's Original Gold Standard. In case you opt for Brer Rabbit, choose the mild flavor option to ensure optimal results. Avoid full flavor or blackstrap molasses as they are darker, denser, and much less sweet.
Tips and Tricks
- Chilling: When making gingerbread cookie dough, chilling is key. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour, or even overnight if you have the time. This will make it easier to roll and cut shapes while also infusing the flavors for a more robust taste.
- Cutting the dough: Avoid frustrating sticking incidents by using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Lightly flour the surface to ensure that the dough rolls out smoothly and to your desired thickness.
- More chilling: To maintain the intricate designs of your gingerbread cookies, chill the cut-out shapes in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking. This will help prevent spreading and ensure even baking.
- Short baking time: When it's time to bake, keep in mind that every oven is different. To avoid burning your cookies, start with the minimum recommended baking time of 8 minutes. Aim for lightly crisped, firm edges, but be careful not to overbake them as gingerbread cookies can quickly become hard.
The Vanilla Icing
No sugar cookie is complete without icing! If you're looking for that glazed, hardened surface with a subtle shine, royal icing is usually the go to. However, as a beginner/occasional baker, I find it difficult and prefer the to fake it with a super easy vanilla icing alternative ๐คฃ. To achieve the "royal icing effect" with vanilla icing, take note of these two tips.
Firstly, add light corn syrup which gives the icing a glossy finish. Do NOT substitute or skip this ingredient. It gives the icing shine!
Secondly, add the liquid gradually, until you reach the desired consistency. Remember to use less liquid at first, as it's easier to add more later.
FAQs About This Recipe
Unsulfured molasses of the light flavor variety. I like to use Grandma's Original Gold standard. See tips and tricks section for more info.
Leftover icing from your gingerbread cookie decorating can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Before using it again, allow the icing to come to room temperature and give it a good stir. If it's too thick, add ยผ teaspoon water at a time and stir until it reaches the right consistency.
If your gingerbread cookies ended up being too hard, they were overbaked. Keep a close eye on the baking time as they can quickly go from perfectly baked to overly crisp. Additionally, be cautious with the amount of flour you add to the dough. Too much flour can also result in harder cookies!
Holiday Gingerbread Cookies
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 24 4-inch cookies 1x
Description
Spread some festive cheer this season with a fresh batch of delicious gingerbread cookies! With soft centers, crispy edges, and homemade icing, they make for the perfect gift for your loved ones. Enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa or as a sweet treat after a holiday meal!
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 ยผ cup all-purpose, unbleached flour + extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon sea salt
- โ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon ground allspice
- ยฝ teaspoon ground clove
- ยพ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- ยฝ cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- ยฝ cup + 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
For the Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar (no need to sift)
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (this gives the icing shine!)
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons skim milk (I used 1%), room temperature
- ยผ cup water, room temperature
- One to two drops food dye as desired for coloring
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and clove until completely combined. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on a medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar and molasses. Beat on a medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg, and the vanilla extract. Beat on a medium speed until completely combined, about 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer onto a low speed. Add the dry flour mixture into the bowl and mix until a soft dough forms that can be made into a ball with your hands. If it's too sticky to roll into a ball, add another a little more flour about a teaspoon at a time. You don't want to add too much!
- Divide the dough half and form into two discs. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Chill for a minimum of 3 hours up to overnight, until firm.
Roll Out and Bake
- Preheat oven to 350หF.ย ย Prepare aย baking sheetย (or two) with aย silpat or parchment paper.
- Generously dust a surface with flour along with your hands and your rolling pin. Remove one disc from the fridge and unwrap.
- Roll the dough out until it's about ยผ inch thick. It may stick and crumble. This is fine! Rotate and flip the dough as you go to help with tearing, adding more flour as needed to help with any sticking.
- Cut out the dough as desired with cookie cutters. Place cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. They won't spread much but this helps with even baking.ย Reroll the scraps of dough and cut out as desired. Repeat with the remaining disc until all the dough is used.
- Place the loaded baking sheet on the middle rack in the preheated oven. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until just set and the edges are justย starting to crisp up.
- For 1 to 2 inch cookies - Bake for 7 - 8 minutes
- For 2 to 4 inch cookies - Bake for 8 - 9 minutes
- For 4 to 5 inch cookies - Bake for 9 - 10 minutes
- Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove cookies from theย baking sheetย and place on a wire rack. Let coolย completelyย before icing and decorating.
Decorate the Cookies
- While the cookings are cooling, make the icing. In a standing mixer or by hand in a large mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, salt, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and milk. It will beย veryย thick. Scrape down the sides and along the bottom as needed.
- Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking between each addition. Continue scraping down the sides and along the bottom as needed. When you lift the whisk and allow the icing to drizzle back into the bowl, it will leave a little ribbon on top that then dissolves back into the mix after a couple seconds. This means it's the right consistency!
- Time to decorate:
- For coloring: mix a few spoonfuls of icing in a small bowl with one to two drops of food coloring in whatever color you desire.
- Use a squeeze bottle, piping bag, frosting spatula, or just dip the cookies in the icing as desired for decorating.
- Top with ALL the sprinkles, sanding sugar, candy canes, you name it. Make sure to do so quickly before the icing sets!
- Allow the cookies to set (about 24 hours at room temperature or 3 to 4 hours in the fridge) before stacking. If not gifting, feel free to eat right away! Store in airtight containers up to 1 week.
Notes
Do not use blackstrap or full flavor molasses. I like to use Grandma's Brand molasses for sweetness, lightness, and mild flavor.
To store: Place baked and decorated cookies in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.
For freezing before baking: Freeze the dough discs (Make the Dough - Step 6). Tightly wrap them in cling wrap and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and continuing with the recipe.
For freezing after baking (before or after decorating): After baking and cooling your gingerbread cookies, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet for an hour before transferring them to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. They can last in the freezer up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature to avoid sogginess. I prefer to freeze them without adding icing although you can if you wish - first, let the icing harden, and then freeze.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Chilling Time: 3 hours to Overnight
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
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