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Gingerbread Cookies
Molasses and brown sugar give the dough its deep color and understated sweetness, while ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves build the spice layer. The dough chills for about three hours — long enough to firm up for precise cutting — then bakes to a shape-holding finish that stays crisp at the edges. A thin vanilla glaze mixed from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla sets on top without cracking. Makes 24 cookies, ideal for cutting into figures or geometric shapes.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup cold water
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water or milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- 1Beat the brown sugar, softened butter, molasses, and cold water in a large bowl on medium speed until well blended.
- 2Stir the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and salt into the wet mixture until a dough forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours. Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven.
- 3Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 4Divide the chilled dough in half. Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface to a quarter-inch thickness, then cut out shapes using floured cookie cutters.
- 5Place the cutouts two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather any dough scraps to reroll and cut more cookies.
- 6Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the centers leave no indentation when lightly touched. Immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks.
- 7Allow the baking sheets to cool for 10 minutes between batches. Let the baked cookies rest for about 30 minutes until completely cool.
- 8Mix the powdered sugar, two tablespoons of water or milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Stir in food coloring one drop at a time to reach your preferred shade.
- 9Transfer the prepared frosting to a small plastic bag, seal it, push the mixture into one corner, and snip off the tip with scissors.
- 10Squeeze the bag to pipe designs onto the cooled cookies, or use a small metal spatula to spread the frosting. Finish with colored sugars and small candies.
Notes
- Coloring: Opt for gel or paste food coloring if you want a highly intense, bright hue. Avoid adding too much liquid food coloring, as excess moisture will cause the frosting to separate and curdle.
- Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Make ahead: You can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge.
Recipe Details
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