Description
These classic Gingerbread Cookies are perfectly spiced, chewy, and easy to make. The dough is richly flavored with molasses and warm spices, chilled for ideal texture, rolled out, and baked to a tender crisp. Finished with a simple royal icing that can be colored and piped for festive decoration, these cookies capture the essence of holiday baking and are perfect for sharing or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Cookies
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 tbsp vegetable shortening
- 3/4 cup (150g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup (250g) unsulphured molasses (e.g., Grandma’s)
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp ground clove
- 3 1/2 cups (450g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
Icing
- 1 1/2 cups (165g) powdered sugar
- 6–8 tsp water
- 1 tsp corn syrup
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Cream ingredients: In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, vegetable shortening, and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add vanilla, egg, and molasses: Scrape down the bowl, then mix in vanilla extract and egg until smooth. Scrape down again and blend in the molasses until the mixture is smooth, rich, and glossy.
- Incorporate spices and leavening: Mix in ground ginger, cinnamon, kosher salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and ground clove until well combined.
- Add flour and form dough: Scrape down the bowl and gradually mix in the all-purpose flour. Mix as long as the mixer can handle; dough will be very thick and sticky. Use a strong silicone spatula to fold the dough thoroughly to ensure even combining.
- Chill the dough: Turn the dough onto a flour-dusted sheet of plastic wrap. Coat your hands with flour and pat dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. For best chewy texture, chill 1-2 hours. Longer chilling yields easier handling but slightly less chewiness.
- Preheat and prepare for rolling: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove dough from fridge. Cut dough in half, return one half to the fridge. Flour both sides of the dough to roll out.
- Roll and cut cookies: On a well-floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters (roughly 4×2.5 inches suggested) to cut out shapes.
- Arrange and bake: Place cut cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on size; start checking at 8 minutes. Cookies are done when puffed evenly with cracked surfaces but still slightly underdone in the center.
- Cool: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Repeat baking: Bake remaining dough by repeating the rolling, cutting, and baking steps. Keep unused dough chilled.
- Prepare icing: Once cookies have cooled, whisk together powdered sugar, starting with 6 tsp water, and corn syrup. Adjust water 1 tsp at a time to reach a thick glue-like consistency. Add gel food coloring if desired.
- Decorate and serve: Use the icing to pipe designs on the cookies once it reaches the desired thickness. Allow icing to set before serving or storing.
Notes
- SIZE – The recommended cookie cutter size is approximately 4×2.5 inches. For smaller cookies, reduce baking time to 6–8 minutes; larger cookies may require up to 10 minutes.
- STORAGE – Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; cookies will soften over time. To extend freshness, refrigerate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
