Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Gingerbread Cookies

About this Recipe:

Must have holiday cookies! Spicy, full of flavour and aromatic. Decorate them as you wish---with your favourite frosting, etc.--- and use as ornaments or gift tags. Try them not only on holiday season but any other time with your tea/coffee. I very much enjoy dipping unfrosted cookies in my afternoon tea/coffee; you may too want to give them a try.

Main Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 2 cups
Ground cinnamon: 2 tbsp
Ground ginger: 1 tbsp
Ground cloves: 1+1/2 tsp
Ground nutmeg: 1/2 tsp
Ground white pepper: 1/2 tsp
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Butter: 1/2 cup (unsalted)
Brown sugar: 1/3 cup (packed)
Sugar: 1/4 cup
Molasses: 1/4 cup
Egg: 1 (preferably room temperature)
Vanilla: 1/2 tsp (extract or power)

Directions:

1. Stir together the first 8 ingredients (flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground white pepper, baking soda and salt); set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars until smooth (set on high speed and beat for about 5 minutes).

3. Add molasses to the butter mixture and mix well. Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully mixed.

4. Set the mixer on low speed or use a spatula. Add half of the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the butter mixture and mix until nearly incorporated; add the rest and mix just until fully incorporated.

5. Shape dough into a disk, wrap it in a plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 350 F.

7. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut chilled dough in half. Return one half to the fridge.

8. On a well-floured work surface roll one half to about 4mm thick. To prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface or rolling pin, flour the rolling pin and turn dough often while rolling, adding more flour to the work surface if necessary.

9. Cut out dough with your favourite cookie cutters *. Transfer cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the other half of the dough.

10. Bake for 10 minutes or until set. Do not overbake; take the cookies out of the oven as soon as you notice the sides are getting darker. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate cookies with your favourite frosting.

11. You can store the cookies in airtight containers for up to a week. You can also freeze the cookies, unfrosted, up to a month.

* Punch holes in cookies (before baking) if desired (you can then use these cookies as ornaments or edible gift tags). To create a hole, use a drinking straw to punch a hole. You can also create a hole using a toothpick but make sure to widen the hole so that it is big enough for a ribbon to pass through.

Published on December 9, 2008

Herbs & Spices in this Recipe: