Description
Classic Gingerbread Cookies with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, perfect for holiday baking. These soft and flavorful cookies are made with molasses and lightly spiced, ideal for decorating with icing and sprinkles for festive occasions.
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
For the Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, ground cloves, and fine sea salt into a medium bowl to ensure even distribution of spices and leavening.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, and molasses on medium/high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the large egg and beat for 1 minute until fully incorporated.
- Combine Dough: Add the dry flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium/low speed until combined. The dough will be soft and moist.
- Chill Dough: Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. If sticky, dust with flour and pat into a disk. Divide into 3 equal pieces, flatten each into disks, wrap individually with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and position a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Roll out one chilled dough disk on a well-floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness, turning dough periodically to prevent sticking. Use 4 to 5-inch cookie cutters to cut shapes. Gather scraps and chill again for re-rolling as needed.
- Bake Cookies: Place cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges just begin to turn brown. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to cooling racks to cool completely. Avoid over-baking for softer cookies.
- Repeat and Store: Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining dough disks. Once cooled, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Make Icing: In a medium bowl, stir powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin.
- Decorate Cookies: Transfer icing to a piping bag, zip bag with small hole, or squeeze bottle. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Let icing set and harden before storing or serving.
Notes
- To get softer cookies, avoid over-baking and remove them from the oven as soon as edges start to brown.
- If dough becomes too sticky, dust with extra flour lightly rather than adding too much to keep cookie texture tender.
- For easier icing application, use piping bags or squeeze bottles and decorate with festive sprinkles and edible decorations.
- Store decorated gingerbread cookies in an airtight container to preserve freshness for up to one week.
- You can prepare dough up to 24 hours in advance and keep refrigerated to develop flavor and improve handling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
