These are my favourite Christmas cookie to make every year. It’s doesn’t feel like Christmas without them. And the decorating ideas are endless.
Recipe slightly adapted from here- https://sugarspunrun.com/gingerbread-men/
Ingredients
For Gingerbread Men
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter , softened
- ½ cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
- ½ cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses, (I use Grandma’s or Brer Rabbit brand and avoid using blackstrap)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
For Cookies:
- Combine butter, sugar, and molasses and use an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat until ingredients are creamy and well combined. Add egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough is smooth, cohesive, and completely combined.
- Divide the dough into two parts (it will be quite sticky, use a spatula) and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Rolling and Cutting Cookies
- Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Generously flour a clean surface and lightly flour the dough as well (see note).
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to be approximately ¼” (.6cm) thick, and use a cookie cutter (my cookie cutter for these was about 3.5” long) to cut out shapes.
- Use a spatula to place cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2″ apart and then transfer to 350F (190C) oven, and bake for 9 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before decorating.
