Gingerbread Cookies are probably THE classic Christmas cookie. Dating back to the 16th century these cookies have been widely popular in Europe for a while now. And it seems like every culture has adopted a variation of this cookie. Which is a testament to how iconic these cookies are. Its common that now a days you see them with royal icing which not only makes them beautiful but also levels out some of the spice and adds a bit of sweetness.
Please note that this is not the same recipe to be used with gingerbread houses. Since Gingerbread houses are typically made to be harder and more dense.
In the recipe below, I ended up being a little liberal with the spices since that’s my favorite part. But if spice isn’t your thing, reduce the spice amount to be about half.
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ TBSP ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp lemon zest optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Then gradually add in the egg. Once the egg is incorporated add in the molasses, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Then gradually add in the flour mixture and beat until a dough forms.
- Roll the dough into a ball and cover in clingwrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375 and line pans with parchment or silicone liners.
- Roll out dough with a rolling pin on a clean floured surface until ¼ inch thick.
- Cut out desired shapes and place them on the baking pans.
- Bake for 8-10 mins. Enjoy!
