Gingerbread Men
Soft and delicious classic Gingerbread Men Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Hand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter *softened
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar tightly packed
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses (I use Grandma's or Brer Rabbit brand and avoid using blackstrap)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Icing:
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tsp teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Combine softened butter, sugar, and molasses using an electric mixer, beat until ingredients are creamy and well-combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar, ½ cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses
- Add 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mix until well-combined. The mixture may look like it's separating, but it will all come together when you add the dry ingredients.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together, 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt,1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough is completely combined.
- Divide the dough into two parts (it may be sticky, use a spatula) and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, pressing the dough down into a square shape and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.
Rolling and Cutting Cookies
- Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Generously flour a clean surface and lightly flour the dough, and rolling pin as well.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to be approximately 1/4-1/2” thick, and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes.
- Use a spatula to place cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1-2" apart and then transfer to 375F (190C) oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Place baked cookies on cooling rack for 5-10 minutes to allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
Gingerbread Cookie Icing
- Beat softened butter in a medium sized bowl with hand mixer, add in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, mix until fully combined. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.3-4 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, 2-4 Tablespoons milk, ½ cup butter (softened), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Transfer to a piping bag with a piping tip, or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off. Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, or spread on with a butter knife or spatula.
- Keep uneaten cookies sealed in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
If the dough is difficult to roll (too stiff) or is cracking, let it sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before continuing.