Easy Gingerbread Cookies
The sweet and a bit spicy gingerbread cookies are so welcoming and an instant reminder of Christmas time.
Servings: 40
Calories: 98kcal
Equipment
- Cookie cutters
- Rolling Pin
- Baking tray and parchment paper (or silicon mat)
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 145 grams (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar
- 200 grams (⅔ cup) liquid honey (or molasses)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 437 grams (3½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger (this adds a bit of spiciness)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- royal icing for decoration (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the, softened to room temperature, butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the brown sugar and honey and beat until fully combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.
- In another bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, allspice and cloves.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and start gradually adding the flour mix to the butter mix until all the flour mix is incorporated.The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Split the dough in two and wrap each half into plastic food wrap and flatten a bit to form a sort of circles.Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours to chill. This step is important, the dough needs to chill otherwise you will not be able to cut out cookies, too sticky.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking trays with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside until needed.
- Take out one of the doughs from the fridge and place on a well floured surface. Sprinkle a bit with flour and roll out the disk to about 0.5 cm (¼ inch) thick and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cut out shapes onto prepared baking trays about 2 cm (1 inch) apart. Reroll the dough scraps to make more shapes. Repeat with the second dough disc.
- Bake for aboou10 minutes. If you have big cookies cutters bake for 11 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool down on a baking tray for about 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are completely cool you can begin decorating. I used homemade royal icing. For a complete recipe for royal icing, see notes below.
- Enjoy!
Notes
On how to make your own royal icing please my recipe for Royal Icing.
I have tried to use this same Gingerbread dough recipe for the gingerbread house, and for a small one about 6x7 cm (2.5x3.5 inch) is ok, but if you want a bigger house with multiple layers, then this dough is not sturdy enough, too soft.