Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies

My husband and daughter love gingerbread cookies. I think they are ok. I like to decorate them, but I would rather eat sugar cookies or shortbread. I don't have a favorite gingerbread cookie so I did some research and decided to combine several different recipes for this one. It has a light, not overpowering, ginger and molasses taste. The dough is a little difficult to work with but once you roll it out it gets easier. If you want a chewier cookie roll it a bit thicker.

Gingerbread Cookies

3/4 Cup (170 g) Butter, Softened
3/4 Cup (160 g) Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg
3 Tbsp of Molasses
3 1/2 Cups (420 g) of All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp of Baking Soda
2 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp of Ground Ginger
1/4 Tsp of Ground Allspice
1/2 Tsp of Salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in molasses. In a separate bowl mix together remaining ingredients.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well combined.

Divide dough into four pieces, wrap and chill for an hour.

Chilled dough

Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5. If you (like me) chill the dough overnight allow the dough to sit out at room temperature until it can be worked with. Roll between pieces of wax paper and cut into desired shapes. (I tried it without the waxed paper and it was a mess - the dough kept sticking to the rolling pin. Also if you use wax paper no flour is needed).

Cutting out cookies

Place cookies one inch apart on a cookie sheet. I used parchment paper on one cookie sheet and just the cookie sheet for another batch. There was not a noticeable difference between the two. Bake for 6 to 12 minutes (depending on the size, thickness and shape of the cookie and type of cookie sheet) or until they feel firm.

Cooling cookies

Getting ready to decorate

To prevent spreading, use another cookie sheet for the next batch of cookies and allow the first cookie sheet to cool. The cookie should cool completely before decorating. I used decorating icing for the icing.

Katie's cookies

The bottom line: will I make these again? Yes, I liked these. I loved decorating them. Katie loved decorating them as well. We decorated them during our lunch break (one of the many benefits of home schooling). Steven though there should be more ginger. I thought it was just right. If you want more ginger just increase the ginger to 1 teaspoon. If you want in your face ginger, increase the ginger to 2 teaspoons.