My kiddos have been begging me to make Gingerbread Cookies . Literally, all year round I have told them, “Let’s wait until Christmas.” We made them last year, and they have been wanting to do so again, ever since. I think they remember them so well because it was on a dreamy, snowy day. It was cozy, and the perfect setting for making Christmas cookies.
So you can imagine how excited they were the day I told them we were going to make them. I have been somewhat surprised that they enjoy them so much. The cookies definitely have some spice to them. I think they are perfect with a cup of coffee, and well, the kids think they are perfect with hot cocoa. 🙂 Either way, they are just plain fun to make. The icing is simple and does not require too many extra embellishments (such as M&Ms, red hots, or sprinkles).
I think this makes for light cookie with some spice and a touch of sweet. Kids will love to bake together with you, and they look festive for an upcoming holiday cookie tray, too.
- 3¼ c. all-purpose flour
- 2 t. cinnamon
- 1 t. ground ginger
- ¾ t. baking soda
- ¾ t. salt
- ½ t. nutmeg
- ¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ c. brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ c. unsulfured molasses
- For the icing:
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 3-4 T. milk
- ¼ t. vanilla extract
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and molasses, and beat on medium speed until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, and form them each into a ball. Then gently use your hands to flatten each ball into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Once the dough is thoroughly chilled and you're ready to bake the cookies, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the dough and place it on a large, lightly floured hard surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approx. ⅛ inch thick. Then use cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes. Transfer to baking sheets.
- Bake for 8 -10 minutes or until the edges are crisp. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Once the cookies have cooled, decorate as desired using icing (above), sprinkles, red hots, and mini M&Ms.
- For the icing:
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Add more milk to make thinner or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Using a piping bag, or a ziplock bag, squeeze to pipe the icing onto the cookies
Other Christmas Treats we LOVE:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Temptations
