Description
Soft in the center, slightly crisp on the edges, and full of warm holiday spice, these gingerbread cookies are perfect for decorating, gifting, or leaving out on the cookie plate.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 10 Tbsp (142 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (160 ml, about 200 g) unsulphured or dark molasses
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Royal icing and sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves until evenly blended.
- In a separate bowl, beat softened butter until smooth, then add brown sugar and molasses, mixing until fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until thick and glossy.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Split the dough into two equal portions, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness, cut shapes with cookie cutters, and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until set and cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Once cool, decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.
Notes
Chilling the dough is essential to maintain the cookies’ shape. They taste even better the next day!
- Prep Time: 240 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American