Community Pick
Gingerbread Cookies
"These are absolutely the best gingerbread cookies I have ever tried."
photo by Pamela
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Yields:
-
20-40 cookies
ingredients
-
Dough
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 lb unsalted butter
- 2⁄3 cup light brown sugar or 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2⁄3 cup unsulphured molasses
-
Icing
- 1 lb confectioners' sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 drop lemon juice or 1 drop vinegar
- food coloring, if desired
directions
- For the dough, sift the dry ingredients (except sugar) into a mixing bowl and stir or whisk well to combine.
- Beat the butter and sugar by machine and beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Continue beating until the mixture is smooth, scraping down often.
- Beat in half the flour mixture, then stop and scrape down the bowl and beaters.
- Beat in the molasses, scrape again, and beat in the remaining flour mixture, just until combined.
- Divide the dough into several pieces and press each piece into a rectangle slightly more than 1/4" thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (this step is important).
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or until firm.
- Can be left overnight or frozen at this point.
- Set racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the dough, one piece at a time, on a floured surface just to make the dough flat and even but not much thinner.
- The cookies should be 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut with floured cutters and arrange on the pans at an inch or two apart, to make room for expansion during baking.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Re-roll the scraps immediately or press together, chill and re-roll later.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until firm when pressed with a fingertip.
- (They won't have much extra color and should dent slightly when touched).
- Cool the cookies on pans a minute or two, then transfer to racks.
- Meanwhile, for the icing, combine the confectioner's sugar and egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat by machine until combined.
- Add the lemon juice or vinegar and continue beating till fluffy.
- Divide the icing into several small bowls and add the coloring.
- Keep plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the icing to prevent a crust from being formed.
- Use a pastry bag or spread icing on cookies to decorate.
- Use raisins, currants and other decorative sweet bits for extra garnish.
- If you'd like to use the cookies to hang on a Christmas tree, make a small hole near the top of the cookie as soon as they come out of the oven so you can get a narrow ribbon or string through.
- Variation: Cut round cookies and sandwich them with some heated apricot jam.
- The variations are endless.
Questions & Replies
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Reviews
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This was my first time trying to make Gingerbread Cookies and they came out wonderful. The coloring, flavor and texture were perfect. I followed you instructions completely except I used the plastic wrap when I was rolling out the dough before cutting. That prevents any sticky to the rolling pin. Of course you have to work fast, as you stated or it just gets soft and sticky to cut. Thank you! I hope my child’s class enjoys them. -
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I can't believe I haven't reviewed this recipe until now. *smacks self in forehead* I've been using this recipe since I first joined RecipeZaar. That was way back before they changed the name to Food.com. This was a recipe by one of my favorite posters, Mean Chef; he posted it back in October of 2003. I have it printed out in my favorites notebook on my shelf, but I needed to share it with my daughter who is now all grown up and on her own and needed the recipe for herself. This is the recipe my 5 kids have grown up eating. We all love it and I still make recipes from Mean Chef's postings all the time. This makes a great tasting dough for cutouts or houses. Thanks Mean Chef for posting it all those years ago, and thanks to Kim D. for adopting it. :) -
Delicious! Soft dough handles well after chilling (Step7-8) - I refrigerated dough overnight. Step 6 make them very easy to roll to 1/4-inch thickenss after dough was chilled. I used a 3-inch gingerbread man-shaped cookie cutter, and recipe made 48 gingerbread, and about 20 (1-1/2") smaller men I cut from the scraps. I cooked them a little longer than stated, as we like gingerbread men crunchy. Next time I'll add more ginger, etc. to suit out taste (guess I was thinking gingersnaps). I froze cookes and will ice them just before placing in clear decorated bags to include in gift baskets. (Thus I can't comment on icing yet.) Mean, thanks for a delicious recipe that works well, even for a novice. -
These are wonderful, and the flavor gets better a day or two after they're made. They stay nice and soft, too! I formed the dough into logs and froze it. After it thawed, I sliced it and baked it that way, rather than rolling the dough out. I didn't make the icing - instead I made a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze, flavored with a bit of Kahlua. I dipped one end of the cookies in this and topped them with red and green sprinkles. I don't think I've made gingerbread cookies before but I have eaten enough of them to know this is a great recipe. Thank you! -
Awesome! I love gingerbread cookies and this one was a real winner! I think the best tip was cooling the dough AFTER it was rolled out, it made the dough easy to work with and easy to ransfer the cut outs to the baking sheet. I rolled out the scraps and cooled it again before cutting out the shapes. I made these for a Christmas bake exchange and they were a real hit. I didn't use the icing suggested, I used melted white chocolate instead. This recipe made 15 dozen tiny gingerbread men ( approx. 1 inch tall) thanks for this great recipe!
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Tweaks
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Awesome! I love gingerbread cookies and this one was a real winner! I think the best tip was cooling the dough AFTER it was rolled out, it made the dough easy to work with and easy to ransfer the cut outs to the baking sheet. I rolled out the scraps and cooled it again before cutting out the shapes. I made these for a Christmas bake exchange and they were a real hit. I didn't use the icing suggested, I used melted white chocolate instead. This recipe made 15 dozen tiny gingerbread men ( approx. 1 inch tall) thanks for this great recipe!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Kim D.
Houston, 0
<p><br /><br />The picture is of me and my husband at the Grand Canyon - November 2008. <br /><br />I've just started a food blog and would love for those interested in cooking and recipes to check it out. You can follow my food journey at <a href=http://onecookbookatathyme.wordpress.com/>http://onecookbookatathyme.wordpress.com/</a></p>
<p>Cooking for family and friends is one of my favorite things to do. I spend most of my free time in the kitchen, either checking out Recipezaar or experimenting with a newly found recipe. <br /><br />My DH and I are both from Texas and we both come from Italian families. Anyone who stops by my house should be prepared to eat!!! I'm always forcing friends and family to try whatever it is that just came out of the oven. I know that is a horrible habit but I can't break it... I think it must be the Italian in me! LOL :) <br /><br />My sister (<a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/getchef.zsp?id=85654>Cookin_Kit</a>) and I used to help my Mom (<a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/getchef.zsp?id=124343>JudaThann</a>) in the kitchen a lot growing up. I guess that is where my love for cooking began. I also enjoy sharing the kitchen with my DH (<a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/getchef.zsp?id=202688>Sgt. Pepper</a>). He doesn't cook as often as he did when we first got married, but he makes an awesome pizza and still makes them at least twice a month. He keeps his recipes for the dough and the sauce top secret, even from me. LOL <br /><br />I have two step-children. The oldest graduated from college and the youngest is a sophomore at Texas Tech. I also have two cats and a dog. When I?m not cooking or hanging out here at Zaar, I like to knit, garden, read, watch old movies, travel, take photos, scrapbook, volunteer at a non-kill animal shelter, and spend time with my family and friends. <br /><br /><img src=http://images.snapfish.com/34359%3C8323232%7Ffp47%3Dot%3E232%3A%3D8%3A3%3D429%3DXROQDF%3E23237%3C2733%3B9%3Bot1lsi alt= /> <br /><br />I'm a co-host with <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/getchef.zsp?id=21399>Karen From Colorado</a> in the <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum?f=37>Mexican/Tex-Mex/Southern United States Cooking Forum</a>. 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