These Gingerbread Cookies are the Absolute Best There Has Ever Been! It is quite simple to create, and it is a lot of fun to decorate it however you choose. These spiced Gingerbread cookies are packed with a ton of different delicious tastes, and they are both soft in the center and crispy on the outside.
Features of Gingerbread Cookies
QUICK AND EASY.
The cookie dough for these treats may be prepared in an unbelievable amount of time and with little effort.
FUN TO CREATE WITH.
Make it a family affair, and have everyone participate in the decorations.
HOLIDAY FAVORITE.
The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without gingerbread cookies, would they? I would think that they are necessary, and it is customary for at least one or two batches to be prepared each year.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Flour –
In order to make the cookie dough, you will require some all-purpose white flour.
Baking Powder –
Baking powder is added to these cookies so that the volume may be increased, and the texture can be made lighter.
Herbs and spices –
These amazing spices—ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cloves, and ground cinnamon—are what give gingerbread its signature flavor. You are free to adjust the amounts of the spices to suit your own unique preferences in terms of flavor.
Salt –
Believe me when I say that a little bit of salt goes a long way, so don’t skip this step!
A condensing of –
In place of butter, I find that using melted shortening that has been slightly cooled is a better option for this recipe. I find that it helps the gingerbread cookies keep their shape better while they are being cooked.
Molasses –
I went with blackstrap molasses because I knew it would lend a deeper color and a more robust flavor to the finished product. Molasses for cooking is another option to consider.
Cane Sugar Brown –
These cookies will benefit from the moistness and chewiness that brown sugar provides.
Egg –
The egg will supply the cookie dough with moisture for the steam that will cause it to rise.
Vanilla –
The addition of just a touch of vanilla to this cookie recipe brings out the full potential of all the other tastes.
Water –
To achieve a dough that is malleable enough to roll, you will need to use potable water.
How to Make Cookies Resembling Gingerbread
SIFTE ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS THAT ARE DRY.
In a large basin, use a sifter to combine the flour, baking powder, ginger, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon with the salt. Sifting the ingredients will make the dough very smooth and will eliminate any lumps that may have been there.
MAKE THE DOUGH
Put the melted shortening, molasses, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and water in the medium bowl of your mixer. Mix it all together. Mix using the paddle attachment on medium speed until the consistency is smooth. Put all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of the mixer. Beginning with a low speed, combine all of the ingredients and mix until all of the dry components are completely combined.
The dough is not as wet or sticky as it may appear to be to the untrained eye. You are going to need to chill it, which will cause it to become more rigid.
STORE THE DOUGH IN THE FREEZER.
The dough should be divided into two equal parts. You can make them into a ball with your hands, and then you can flatten the ball into discs. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, or until the discs can be bent without breaking, after which they should be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled. Before rolling out the dough, remove the discs from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for twenty minutes.
PREP THE OVEN AND BAKING SHEET
Turn the oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, prepare a big baking sheet that measures 15 by 21 inches by lining it with parchment paper and setting it aside.
CUTTING AND ROLLING THE DOUGH
Unwrap the dough and lay it on a work surface that has been dusted with flour. Roll the dough out to a thickness of approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch using a rolling pin that has been dusted with flour. To shape the dough into cookies, you can use any cookie cutters that you like best. After that, place the cookies on the baking sheet that has been previously prepared. Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough and re-roll any dough that is left over until the process is complete.
BAKE
After the oven has been prepared, place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. When the cookies no longer have a dried appearance but remain tender to the touch, they are ready to be eaten.
LET IT COOL TOTALLY, THEN DECORATE IT.
After allowing the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, move them to a wire rack to continue cooling for the remaining time. When the cookies are ready, you can ice or frost them anyway you choose once they have cooled fully. Engage the participation of the children; they will enjoy it very much.
Leftovers
If you want to keep your gingerbread cookies fresh for up to two to three weeks, store them in an airtight container on the counter or in the pantry.
FREEZER
These cookies do quite well when frozen. Put them in an airtight container in single layers and let them sit there for two to three months. Take them out and have fun with them throughout the holidays!