Classic Gingerbread Cookies
These classic gingerbread cookies are the perfect holiday treat. The dough is easy to work with and lends itself to successful decorating! Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons quality unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
For the Gingerbread Cookie Icing (see note on portion size)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup *
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Candies and Sprinkles for decorating *
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer on medium speed whip your butter until
light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and mix till combined. Then add molasses, egg, and vanilla and mix again until well combined, about 2 minutes. It's ok if the batter separates a little bit. - Now add the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and continue to mix on medium speed until well combined. Separate your dough into two sections and wrap them in wax paper or cling wrap and place them in the fridge or freezer about 2 hours or until really cold.
- Once your dough is cool, take out one section at a time and place it onto a large sheet of well-floured wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add a little bit of flour to the top of the dough, rolling pin, and hands as well. Don't be afraid to use flour on top of the dough as it will disappear when baking.
- Roll dough out into about 1/4 inch thick. I left mine a little thicker because my cookie cutter was pretty big so it was difficult to move thin dough to the cookie sheet. Watch your edges to make sure they're not too thin. Use the cookie cutter to cut into shapes, press the dough back together then roll out again and repeat.
- Bake at 350° F for 9 to 12 minutes. Wait at least 5 minutes and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Be sure your cookies are completely cooled before decorating.
For the Gingerbread Cookie Icing
- *See note about icing before you begin* In a medium sized mixing bowl add powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla, with a fork mix until well combined. Transfer to an icing bottle. I like Sweet Sugarbelle 4 ounce squeeze bottle with a #2 stainless steel tip available on Amazon.
- Decorate with icing and sprinkles any way you’d like. I use Wilton holiday mix and but a
dap of icing under them to hold them in place.
Notes
- The icing makes much more than you’ll need. I included enough for you to completely cover the cookies if you’d prefer that look. If you like a minimal look consider cutting this recipe in half.
- I used Golden Barrel Brand corn syrup and Wilton Holiday Mix for sprinkles
- This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies and they stay fresh in an air tight container, at room temperature for about a week.
- Prep Time is about 3 hours. 1 hour to prepare and decorate and 2 hours to chill.
- This cookie is not sturdy enough for gingerbread houses.
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
