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Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Christine Cole

I love the old fashioned taste and smell of fresh baked gingerbread at Christmas. These cookies are simple to make but do not skip the chilling time or the dough will be really difficult to work with. After they’re baked you can leave them plain to dunk in your morning cup of tea or decorate them with royal icing. They don’t have to be fancy but I think it’s a great excuse for some Christmas decorating fun! 🎄

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour (360g)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter, room temperature

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

  2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy; about 3 minutes.

  3. Add molasses, then the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down as needed to get all the parts incorporated..

  4. Add in flour mixture gradually while mixing on low until it forms a uniform dough.

  5. Divide dough into two portions and roll into disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  7. Roll out chilled dough to ¼-inch in thickness and cut out gingerbread people or other shapes.

  8. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet. Work quickly as dough becomes quickly unworkable as it warms. If it becomes too sticky, rechill dough then continue until all dough is used up.

  9. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Allow to cool complete before frosting.


Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS

4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons meringue powder

9–14 tablespoons room temperature water

Gel food coloring (optional)

METHOD

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 9 Tablespoons of water until smooth.

  2. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. You will know when you have the right consistency if when you lift up the whisk the icing drizzles down and smooths out within 8-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time.

  3. Add food coloring to all or parts of the batch as you like.

  4. Place in piping bags or squeeze bottles with piping tips and decorate! Be sure to keep the tips covered as royal icing will dry and clog quickly.