Best Gingerbread People Cookies
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy24
servings15
minutes10
minutesI have searched and baked hundreds of gingerbread men cookies and had yet to find one that was a perfect balance of flavor and that are easy to make. Also these don’t change shape when cooked. So many times the cookies spread out and look like blobs. This recipe is the best. The flavor is great, the recipe is easy, they are easy to roll out and they stay the same shape when they bake. We always leave some undecorated as the cookies are good enough to eat without the icing and frosting.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4-1/2 ground cloves
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest, optional
Directions
- In a small bowl whisk together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until well blended
- In a bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
- Add the molasses, vanilla, and zest if using. Continue to mix until well combined.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, flatten into a disk shape and wrap each half in plastic and leave out on the counter for an hour or refrigerate overnight. * I made the dough in the am and refrigerated it for 3-4 hours and then took them out to warm up about 15 minutes before rolling them out. Dough can be made 4 days ahead of time.
- Preheat oven to 375. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out using flour and roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 7-10 minutes depending on size and thickness of cookies. Allow cookies to cool on sheet.
- Once cookies are cool, decorate to your heart’s content.
