Nothing signals the arrival of the holiday season quite like the aroma of warm spices wafting from the kitchen. These classic gingerbread cookies offer the perfect balance of festive flavor and texture. With a distinct bite from the ginger and a deep richness from molasses, these cookies are perfect for cutting into festive shapes and decorating with friends and family.
Whether you are building a gingerbread house or making simple gingerbread people, this dough holds its shape beautifully while remaining tender and delicious.
Ingredients
The Dry Mix
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger (provides a nice bite)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
The Wet Mix
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (approx. 165g) brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Decorating
- Royal Icing
Instructions
1. Whisk the Dry Ingredients In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. You can sift these ingredients if you prefer to remove any large spice particles, but simply shaking them in is fine. Whisk everything together thoroughly and set aside.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugar Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the room-temperature butter until soft. Add the packed brown sugar and mix until the combination is nice and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything incorporates evenly—this step is crucial if using a stand mixer.
3. Incorporate Molasses and Liquids Add the molasses to the butter and sugar mixture first, mixing it well. This makes incorporating the remaining ingredients easier. Next, crack in the egg and add the vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Note: The mixture may look “broken” or curdled because the high volume of molasses does not easily emulsify with the butter. Do not panic; the flour will bring it all back together.
4. Combine and Finish by Hand Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until almost combined—it is okay to see a few flour streaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish mixing by hand with a spatula. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure no buttery pockets remain unmixed. This ensures the cookies bake uniformly.
5. Roll and Chill Divide the dough into two batches and press them into discs.
- Pro Tip: Roll the dough out before chilling. This allows the dough to firm up faster and makes it much easier to handle later. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Do not skimp on the chilling time; the dough needs to be firm.
6. Roll and Cut Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Liberally flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Unwrap the chilled dough—if it cracks slightly, simply pinch it back together. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes (gingerbread people, trees, snowflakes, etc.) and place them on a baking sheet. Gather your scraps, press them back together, and re-roll them to minimize waste. If the scraps get too soft, pop them back in the fridge briefly.
7. Bake Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Smaller shapes may require slightly less time, so keep an eye on them.
8. Decorate Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating. Using a piping bag with a small round tip (size #3 is ideal), pipe royal icing onto the cookies.
- Technique: When piping, do not touch the tip to the cookie. Hold the tip about half an inch above the surface and let the icing “trail” down. This allows for cleaner lines and better control.
Baker’s Tips
- Flour Generously: This dough is notoriously soft, so use plenty of flour on your surface when rolling out to prevent sticking.
- Don’t Overcomplicate Decorating: Keep it simple. A clean outline, a happy face, and a few buttons are often more effective than an overly complicated design. If your cookies puff up slightly during baking, simply redraw the outline with icing to create a clean, defined shape.
- Efficient Rolling: Using various sizes of cookie cutters helps you utilize as much dough as possible during the first roll, reducing the need to re-roll scraps repeatedly.
