Description
These Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies are classic holiday treats with a perfect blend of spices and a sweet vanilla glaze. Soft and flavorful, they’re ideal for decorating and sharing during festive gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy to create the base for your cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the vanilla extract and egg thoroughly until fully incorporated, then add the molasses and mix until the dough is well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agent.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture in the bowl. Mix well until a consistent dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a large disc. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up and develop flavors.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Divide the chilled dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half to about ¼ inch thickness. Use a snowflake cookie cutter or your preferred shape to cut out cookies.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Place the cut-out cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the edges are firm but not browned.
- Cool Cookies: Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before adding glaze.
- Prepare Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk or cream, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk or powdered sugar if necessary to achieve a glaze that flows but holds shape.
- Decorate Cookies: Place the vanilla glaze in a piping bag fitted with a small tip and pipe snowflake decorations onto the cooled cookies for a festive look.
Notes
- Ensure the dough is well chilled to make rolling and cutting easier.
- Use parchment paper to prevent cookies from sticking and aid in even baking.
- The glaze consistency is key for decorating—too thin will run off, too thick will be hard to pipe.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
- For extra flavor, consider adding a pinch of cloves or nutmeg in the spice mix.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
