Description
Bake Classic Gingerbread Men Cookies with a warm, spicy kick! My easy recipe brings holiday joy, complete with decorating tips and personal kitchen tales.
Ingredients
Scale
- Dough Essentials:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (160g) unsulphured dark molasses
- Gingerbread Spices:
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- Kitchen Cabinet Staples:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Icing & Decoration (Optional):
- Royal icing (powdered sugar, meringue powder, water)
- Sprinkles or edible decorations
Instructions
- Cream It Good:: First things first, get your butter and brown sugar into a bowl. Cream them together with an electric mixer until they’re light and fluffy, like a cloud! This step is crucial for that tender texture. I always get a little too excited and end up with sugar flying everywhere, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right? Scrape down the sides of the bowl often, because those stray bits need love too.
- Wet Ingredients Unite:: Now, beat in the molasses and the egg. Make sure everything is well combined; you want a smooth, dark, fragrant mixture. This is where the magic really starts to happen, and your kitchen will begin to smell absolutely heavenly. Honestly, I could just stand there and sniff the bowl. Don’t rush it; let that molasses really mix in, creating the base for our Classic Gingerbread Men Cookies.
- Dry Mix-Up:: In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Give it a really good whisk to make sure all those spices are evenly distributed. I remember one time I didn’t whisk enough, and one batch of cookies had a weirdly intense clove flavor, oops! Slowly add this dry mixture to your wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Don’t overmix, or your cookies might get tough.
- Chill Out, Dough:: Gather the dough, flatten it into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Seriously, don’t skip this! A well-chilled dough is so much easier to roll out, and it prevents your gingerbread men from spreading too much in the oven. I’ve tried to rush this step before, and it was a sticky, frustrating mess. Trust me, the chill time is worth it for perfectly shaped Classic Gingerbread Men Cookies.
- Roll & Cut:: Once chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Now for the fun part: grab your gingerbread man cookie cutters! Cut out as many shapes as you can, then carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Re-roll any scraps, but try not to overwork the dough.
- Bake & Cool:: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just set and slightly darker. Keep an eye on them, as oven temperatures can vary! They’ll still be a little soft when you take them out, but they’ll firm up as they cool. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is key here; don’t try to move them too soon, or they might break!