Description
Festive Gingerbread Cookies bring warmth and cheer to holiday celebrations, offering a delightful blend of spices and sweet memories. Christmas bakers can craft these classic treats with simple ingredients, creating edible joy that connects generations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorating Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Cream butter and brown sugar in a separate large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, blending until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing.
- Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow flavors to meld and dough to firm up.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness, using cookie cutters to create desired shapes.
- Transfer cut cookies onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are slightly golden and centers appear set.
- Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
- Prepare royal icing by whisking powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add food coloring if desired and decorate cooled cookies with icing and sprinkles.
- Allow icing to completely set before storing cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain sharp cookie shapes during baking.
- Use fresh, high-quality spices for maximum flavor intensity and aromatic warmth in the cookies.
- Adjust spice levels by increasing or decreasing ground ginger and cinnamon to suit personal taste preferences.
- Gluten-free alternative: Replace wheat flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend for celiac or wheat-sensitive individuals.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg