Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Food

GINGERBREAD CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 4 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Tint some of the frosting red and some green; leave remaining frosting plain. Decorate cookies.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl
• chop the butter into small pieces, and rub into dry mixture until the consistency of fine breadcrumbs, then add the sugar and mix together
• mix the beaten egg and add to the mixture, mixing together to form a dough
• Roll out on a floured surface (ensure you flower bothe the rolling pin and the table very well as this helps wen cutting into shapes once rolled) to about 3mm thick, then cut out what ever shapes you want. Put onto a tray lined with baking paper, decorate as much as you like although i like to keep mine simple with a good sprinkle of cinnamon sugar yum!
• cook for approximately 15 minutes depending on size of biscuit.
• When they are cooked, leave on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack, and leave to cool completely.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one cookie sheet.
• Mix together the molasses, brown sugar, water and shortening.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Add to sugar mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on floured board. Cut with floured gingerbread cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool and decorate with frosting.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES 101

Steps:

• Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper through a wire sieve into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer at high speed, beat the butter and vegetable shortening until well-combined, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and egg. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)
• To roll out the cookies, work with one disk at a time, keeping the other disk refrigerated. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until just warm enough to roll out without cracking, about 10 minutes. (If the dough has been chilled for longer than 3 hours, it may need a few more minutes.) Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick, being sure that the dough isn't sticking to the work surface (run a long meal spatula or knife under the dough occasionally just to be sure, and dust the surface with more flour, if needed). For softer cookies, roll out slightly thicker. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and transfer to nonstick cookie sheets, placing the cookies 1 inch apart. Gently knead the scraps together and form into another disk. Wrap and chill for 5 minutes before rolling out again to cut out more cookies.
• Bake, switching the positions of the cookies from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies are set and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cake racks to cool completely. Decorate with Royal Icing. (The cookies can be prepared up to 1 week ahead, stored in airtight containers at room temperature.)
• Make ahead: The icing can prepared up to 2 days ahead, stored in an airtight container with a moist paper towel pressed directly on the icing surface, and refrigerated.
• This icing hardens into shiny white lines, and is used for piping decorations on gingerbread people or other cookies. Traditional royal icing uses raw egg whites, but I prefer dried egg-white powder, available at most supermarkets, to avoid any concern about uncooked egg whites.
• When using a pastry bag, practice your decorating skills before you ice the cookies. Just do a few trial runs to get the feel of the icing and the bag, piping the icing onto aluminum foil or wax paper. If you work quickly, you can use a metal spatula to scrape the test icing back into the batch.
• Dried egg-white powder is also available by mail order from The Baker's Catalogue, 1-800-827-6836. Meringue powder, which is dehydrated egg whites with sugar already added, also makes excellent royal icing; just follow the directions on the package. However, the plain unsweetened dried egg whites are more versatile, as they can be used in savory dishes, too. Meringue powder is available from Adventures in Cooking (1-800-305-1114) and The Baker's Catalogue.
• In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer at low speed, beat the confectioners' sugar, egg-white powder and water until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until very stiff, shiny and thick enough to pipe; 3 to 5 minutes. (The icing can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, stored in an airtight container with a moist paper towel pressed directly on the icing surface, and refrigerated.)
• To pipe line decorations, use a pastry bag fitted with a tube with a small writing tip about 1/8-inch wide, such as Ateco No. 7; it may be too difficult to squeeze the icing out of smaller tips. If necessary, thin the icing with a little warm water. To fill the pastry bag, fit it with the tube. Fold the top of the bag back to form a cuff and hold it in one hand. (Or, place the bag in a tall glass and fold the top back to form a cuff.) Using a rubber spatula, scoop the icing into the bag. Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed. Squeeze the icing down to fill the tube. Always practice first on a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil to check the flow and consistency of the icing.
• Traditional Royal Icing: Substitute 3 large egg whites for the powder and water.

THE MOST WONDERFUL GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
• In a large bowl (KitchenAid's great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
• Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.
• Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
• Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 deg. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
• (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.
• Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.
• Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.
• Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick.
• Use additional flour to avoid sticking.
• Cut out cookies with desired cutter-- the ginger bread man is our favorite of course.
• Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies-- very good!).
• Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
• After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.
• I usually brush them with a powdered sugar glaze when I am in a hurry, but they look wonderful decorated with Royal icing.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it.
• Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. A note about crowding the tray(s): these particular cookies can spread a little. Leave room between the cookies. Better to use 3 baking sheets with fewer cookies than to crowd them on 2 trays. Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Got scraps? Form the scraps into a ball, press it flat and chill in the refrigerator. These cookies may be a little more "tough" because the dough will have been worked a little more than the others. Why not have a little frosting on your gingerbread?
• In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together to combine. If too thick in consistency, add a touch more orange juice or water to thin out.
• Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting between 2 of the gingerbread cookies. Press the 2 cookies halves gently together.
• Variation: I love springerle, the German anise-flavored cookies, for the delicate molds (and carved rolling pins) used to make them. I have made this recipe with springerle molds with stunning results. The kind of cookies that make people marvel at how great they look before they eat a half a plate of them! Simply dust the decorative molds (or rolling pin) with flour, shaking lightly to remove any excess. Roll the dough very thin (between 1/2 and 1/4-inch thick). Press or roll the dough into the molds and trace the shapes with a sharp knife to extract the cookies. Arrange them on a greased baking sheet (with some space between them) and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Not using molds? Scoop the batter in teaspoons and roll them into balls. Press the balls onto a greased baking sheet or press with the tines of a fork to make ridges. Bake until brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. These cookies are so beautiful, they can stand alone. Or...make gingerbread sandwiches using the above frosting as the filling...

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat together the butter, treacle, brown sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, then beat through all of the remaining dry ingredients apart from the caster sugar. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll the mixture into 20 even-sized balls (weighing for accuracy, if you like). Tip the caster sugar onto a small plate, then add each ball and roll around to coat. Space each ball out on the baking sheets. Bake for 9-10 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

HOMEMADE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix together dry ingredients. Set aside.
• Mix the applesauce, date sugar, date paste, molasses, and flax egg together.
• Stir in ¼ cup cold water and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix well. Add cold water (1-2 Tbsp) until dough holds together.
• Roll out dough into a ¼ inch thick layer. (See cooking tips).
• Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the coconut oil, dried orange peel and brown sugar together in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
• Mix in the egg, molasses and orange peel until well blended
• In a separate medium bowl whisk the dry ingredients together.
• Add the dry ingredients in small batches and mix until just incorporated
• Wrap the dough and chill it 15 minutes or so. DON"T let it get too cold or it will get hard. If that happens let it sit on the counter until it is workable. (coconut oil gets very stiff when it is cold)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare two cookie sheets by oiling them, or using silpat sheets.
• unwrap the chilled dough.
• OPTION: If you want to roll the dough out for cut out cookies do that now. Bake them without the sugar on top if doing cutout cookie shapes.
• For drop cookies break off small pieces of the chilled dough.
• Make 30 evenly sized dough balls by pinching off the dough in small amounts and rolling it in your wet or oiled hands.
• Pour the white sugar into a small bowl.
• Roll the dough balls in the sugar and place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart
• Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden on top
• Cool on the cookie sheet one minute and then transfer to a cooling rack
• When the cookies are thoroughly cooled you can decorate and ice them if desired.

BEST GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in bowl.
• Cream margarine, add sugar then eggs one at a time.
• Now add the molasses and vinegar.
• Mix in the flour.
• Roll out and use cookie cutters.
• Bake 10-12 minutes at 350°F.
• After they are baked you can decorate the way you like.

HOMEMADE GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter and egg, then mix thoroughly until a thick dough forms and all of the dry ingredients are fully incorporated (about 3 minutes).
• Cover and chill the cookie dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Turn out the dough on a lined countertop then roll out to 1/4-inch and cut shapes. Place the cookie cutouts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before enjoying!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and set aside.
• In a small saucepan combine the butter, honey, sugar, lemon juice and the lemon and orange zest. Bring this to medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to about room temperature and beat in the eggs.
• Make a well in the flour/spice mixture and add the egg/sugar mixture. Using a fork, begin to gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. When the flour has mostly been incorporated, turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and gently knead until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Knead in a little more flour if the dough seems sticky. Chill dough for 1 hour or overnight.
• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to an even thickness of about 1/4-inch. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on a lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookies are firm and lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 3 to 4 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
• When the cookies are completely cool decorate as desired.
• Cook's Note: If you are planning to hang the cookies, make a hole for the string before baking.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the molasses and egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes; place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Place confectioners' sugar in a small bowl; gradually whisk in 1 tablespoon water until a thick icing forms. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a small hole in one corner. Decorate cookies as desired and let set.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• 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.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses.
• In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients; add to mixture while stirring.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface (try to use the least amount of flour that you can to keep dough from sticking) to about 1/8" thick. Using a large cookie cutters (I use a 3 1/2" gingerbread man), cut out cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Reroll dough scraps and repeat.
• Bake @ 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheet until they have flattened again. Carefully remove from cookie sheets and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.

SOFT-BATCH GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• For the gingerbread cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
• Cream the butter, granulated sugar and dark brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on a medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes lighter in color. Mix in the egg and molasses on a medium speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
• Sift the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and salt) into the wet ingredients. Mix on low until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
• Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to shape and roll 14 cookie dough balls using about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies seem set in the center. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
• For the buttercream frosting: While the cookies bake and cool, mix the butter on a medium speed in a large bowl for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix on a medium speed until combined. Mix in the powdered sugar and milk on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, mix for an additional minute on a low speed to give the frosting a super smooth consistency.
• For the cookie decorations: Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cooled cookies using a small offset spatula or butter knife. Top with sprinkles, then enjoy!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Put both types of sugar, the golden syrup and the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Set it over a medium heat and warm, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugars have dissolved.
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and leave to cool for about 5 minutes before beating in the egg. Sift over the flour and then the spices, one at a time, mixing gently after each addition, to make a soft dough.
• Put the dough into a food bag, or wrap in cling film. Chill for several hours, preferably overnight, to firm up - this makes the dough easier to roll out.
• Remove the dough from the fridge 15-30 minutes before rolling it, so it can soften slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Roll out the dough between sheets of baking parchment to the thickness of a £1 coin. If the dough seems very sticky, dust it and the parchment lightly with a little flour. Peel off the top parchment sheet, then using a template or gift tag, cut out your tags with a sharp knife. You could also use a suitably sized cutter-approx 5 x7cm.
• Gather up the dough trimmings and re-roll them between more parchment paper to cut more tags. Lift the tags, on the parchment, on to a baking tray. If necessary, trim off the top corners of each tag with a knife to make the classic tag shape. Create a hole near one end with the end of the drinking straw. If you want to emboss your tags, do it now. Chill for about 15 minutes.
• Bake for 8-12 minutes or until a rich golden-brown. Leave to firm up on the tray, then lift, still on the parchment, on to a wire rack to cool.
• To finish the biscuit tags, roll out the fondant between two pieces of baking parchment to a 2mm thickness. Peel off the top sheet of parchment and use a 1.5cm round piping nozzle or a pen lid to cut out circles. Use a paintbrush to apply a tiny bit of water or runny honey to each biscuit tag around the cut-out hole, to act as glue, then place a circle of fondant on top. Use the drinking straw or the end of the paintbrush to push the fondant through the hole in the biscuit, leaving a white border.
• Leave to set before threading strawberry laces through the holes.

THE BEST GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves in a large bowl.
• Mix the butter, shortening, brown sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in the egg. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and pat to 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick, dusting with flour if needed. Cut into 3- to 5-inch cookies with a gingerbread man cutter or desired shape. Brush off the excess flour and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
• Bake the cookies in batches until they are golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the royal icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar with the meringue powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat in 6 tablespoons of water until well combined and you have stiff glossy peaks, adding 1 tablespoon more water at a time to reach a smooth pipeable consistency. Mix in food coloring as desired. Fill pastry bags fitted with tips. Decorate the gingerbread cookies with the icing.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salts together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the egg and molasses and mix at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, apple pie spice, ginger, and cloves together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until all of the flour has been incorporated. Do not overmix the cookie dough or the cookies will be tough.
• Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all flour has been incorporated.
• Divide the dough in half and place one half on a large piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough to ⅜-inch thick and transfer the dough with the parchment paper to a large sheet pan.
• Repeat with the second half of dough. Place the second half of rolled dough with the parchment over the first half of rolled dough on the sheet pan.
• Cover the dough on the sheet pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Once the dough has chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cut the dough into desired shapes and place onto prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are just beginning to darken.
• Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to fully cool before decorating.
• Decorate as desired, serve, and enjoy!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE

Steps:

• Boil sugar, molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt in a pan. Remove it from flame and then add baking soda and butter and stir until butter melts.
• Immediately, mix in egg and flour. Mix well. Place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or until it is hard enough to roll.
• Lightly flour a plain surface and roll the mixture until a thin layer is obtained.
• Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cut the cookies using cutters in different shapes and designs and place them on the cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 170 degree Celsius and cool on racks. Remove and decorate with royal icing.

HEALTHY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt. Whisk until no lumps and set aside.
• In another large bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until combined and creamy.
• Add egg and molasses. Beat until combined well (don't overbeat to prevent butter separation).
• Add flour mixture, first stir with spatula and then mix with your hands until a ball of dough forms.
• Divide it into two balls, place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap, flatten into discs, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Remove chilled dough from the fridge, let warm up on the counter for 5 minutes, and unwrap from plastic. Dust the surface and rolling pin with flour and roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. If dough is hard and crumbly, roll it out as best as you can, let warm up a few minutes and roll more until 1/4 inch thick.
• Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer to previously prepared baking sheet (loosening with small spatula if necessary), leaving just 1/2 inch in between. These cookies do not spread much. Combine the dough scraps into a ball, roll it out, cut out cookies and repeat until you run out of dough. Repeat the same step with the second disc of dough.
• Bake for 8 minutes for soft cookies and 12 minutes for crunchy cookies. Do not overbake as cookies will harden during resting. Remove from the oven and let gingerbread cookies first cool off on a baking tray for 15 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool off completely.