The Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies
Perfect for the holiday season or any time you crave something cozy, these Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies are a delightful mix of bold spices and tender sweetness. Featuring fragrant ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, along with rich molasses and dark brown sugar, these cookies are irresistibly warm and flavorful. The dough is easy to roll out, making it ideal for creating festive shapes with cookie cutters, and the recipe includes tips for decorating with royal icing, powdered sugar, or candies for an extra touch of charm. Ready in under an hour (plus chilling time), these soft, aromatic cookies are perfect for gifting, sharing, or savoring with a cup of hot cocoa. Whether you're baking for a crowd or a cozy night in, these classic gingerbread cookies are sure to become a favorite tradition.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
- 0.75 cup Unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 0.75 cup Dark brown sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 0.5 cup Molasses
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Powdered sugar (optional, for decorating)
- 1 batch Royal icing or decorative candies (optional, for decorating)
Instructions
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between cookies.
Re-roll the scraps and repeat the cutting process until all the dough is used. Repeat with the second disk of dough.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until they are set but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, decorate the cookies with powdered sugar, royal icing, or decorative candies as desired. Let the decorations set before serving or storing.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
5532 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 156.5 g | 201% | |
| Saturated Fat | 93.9 g | 470% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 607 mg | 202% | |
| Sodium | 2708 mg | 118% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 988.8 g | 360% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 15.1 g | 54% | |
| Total Sugars | 646.8 g | ||
| Protein | 52.0 g | 104% | |
| Vitamin D | 3.5 mcg | 18% | |
| Calcium | 667 mg | 51% | |
| Iron | 30.4 mg | 169% | |
| Potassium | 3202 mg | 68% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
