I am not one of those home cooks that is morally against all store-bought treats. That being said, when it comes to gingerbread, I really can’t stand the stuff. I find store-bought gingerbread almost always tastes stale — just like the cardboard box it comes in. Not a problem for a fun afternoon of decorating gingerbread houses, but definitely a problem when it comes to snacking!
Unlike the store-bought stuff, this gingerbread recipe makes crisp cookies that are delicious and loaded with spice. Whether you are making gingerbread men or unleashing your inner creative to make an entire village, these cookies will be the perfect addition to your holiday spread.
HOW TO PREVENT GINGERBREAD COOKIE DOUGH FROM STICKING
Gingerbread dough is notoriously sticky. The best advice I can give you is to make sure your dough is chilled. This will cause it to crack a bit but you can easily mold it back together with your fingers and continue to roll it out.
Also, be sure to use plenty of flour — both on the rolling pin and on the surface you are rolling the dough out on. Keep the dough moving by lifting and rotating it while rolling it out; this will prevent it from sticking to your board.
HOW TO PREVENT GINGERBREAD COOKIE DOUGH FROM SPREADING
The secret to preventing your gingerbread cookies from spreading is to keep the dough as cold as possible. If you are having problems with spreading, you can place the entire baking sheet (along with your cut-out cookies) into the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes before moving them into the oven.
SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES vs. CRISP GINGERBREAD COOKIES
If you prefer soft gingerbread cookies, take them out of the oven at the lower end of the baking time. If you prefer gingerbread cookies that are more crisp and crunchy, leave them in for a bit longer.
Start by measuring out all of your ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute, until smooth and creamy. Next, add in the brown sugar and molasses and continue to mix (on medium speed) until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Turn the mixer down to a medium-low speed and add in the egg, followed by the vanilla, until fully incorporated. Turn the mixer back up to medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
With the mixer at a low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture, half at a time, and continue to mix just until combined.
Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and form them into two flat disks. (Note: the dough will be quite soft and tacky.) Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Before forming and baking the cookies, preheat your oven to 350℉.
Remove one of the disks from the fridge and set onto a generously floured surface. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin until it is between ⅛” and ¼” in thickness.
Your dough will probably crack along the edges (because it is chilled)… that’s ok! Just form it back together with your fingers and continue to roll it out.
Keep moving and rotating the dough as you roll it to prevent sticking. You will want to work quickly — gingerbread dough is notoriously sticky!
Cut out desired shapes, then carefully (and quickly) transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If things go awry and you experience any sticking, don’t panic! You can always reform the dough into a disk, chill it, and start over!
Place the baking sheet into the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Bake in the center of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size and desired texture of your cookies. For softer gingerbread cookies, I suggest baking them for closer to 8 minutes. For crisp gingerbread cookies, leave them in the oven a bit longer, closer to 12 minutes. (My favorite texture is right around the middle, at about 10 minutes!)
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container. You can then either keep them at room temperature for a few days, or keep them in the freezer for a later date.
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup fancy molasses
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda3 tsp ground ginger2 tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp ground cloves½ tsp kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Add in brown sugar and molasses. Still on medium speed, mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed½ cup fancy molasses
- Decrease mixing speed to medium-low. Add in egg, followed by vanilla, and mix until fully incorporated. Increase mixing speed to medium, and beat until smooth (about 1 to 2 minutes)1 large egg, at room temperature1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Decrease mixing speed to low. Slowly add in flour mixture, half at a time, and mix just until combined.
- Turn out the dough and divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and form each into a flat disk. (Note: the dough will be quite soft and slightly sticky.)
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Forming & Baking the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Set half of the dough (one disk) on a well-floured surface. With a well-floured rolling pin, roll out dough to between ⅛" and ¼" thick (see Note 1).
- Using a cookie cutter (of your desired size and shape), cut out cookies from dough. Quickly and carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (see Note 2).
- To prevent spreading, set the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer and chill cookies for 5 minutes.
- Bake in the center of preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes (see Note 3).
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for later.
Notes
- Dough Cracking: The dough will likely crack along the edges; simply use your fingers to re-form it back together and continue rolling. To prevent sticking, work quickly, constantly moving and rotating the dough.
- Cookies Sticking: If cookies begins to stick to rolling surface, simply reform the dough into a disk, chill the dough, and start over.
- Baking time will vary based on the size of your cookies and your desired texture: less time for soft gingerbread cookies; more time for crisp gingerbread cookies.
