Classic Gingerbread Cookies
Active Time: 40 min
Bake Time: 10-12 min
Total Time: 5hr 40min
Hey Y’all! It’s been a minute since I sat down to write a recipe for y’all becasue truly I haven’t had the time to bake anything recently. With that being said, ‘tis the season! I finally got some time to spend a lazy Saturday baking Gingerbread cookies and boy they didn’t disappoint.
This bake was interesting because I really wanted to decorate the cookies and make them aesthetically pleasing, so I googled a recipe for royal icing since I have never made it before. After making the icing (per the recipe I found online) I really was not loving the way it tasted. . . at all. Let’s just say it was less than yummy for sure. At that moment, my internal monologue was running about whether or not I should go through with using the frosting even though I really did not like the way it tasted. In the end I decided to go with my gut and change the icing to a classic cream cheese frosting. Even though this would be harder to decorate with, I didn’t feel right about sharing an icing recipe with y’all that I didn’t 100% love; simple as that!
With that being said, I think these cookies turned out better than I could have planned! And it taught me a small lesson about going with the flow when cooking. If a part or all of a recipe doesn’t appeal to you, don’t be afraid to switch it up and go with something you love. In the end it will reflect in your cooking that you truly stand by what you made. So, mini-rant aside . . . let’s get baking!
Cookie Ingredients
3 Cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1.5 sticks of unsalted butter
3/4 Cup light brown sugar
1/2 Cup molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
Baking Instructions
Sift together the flour, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. (Set this aside)
Place the room temperature butter and brown sugar into a large bowl. Using a mixer, beat the sugar and butter for 5 minutes or until it becomes a light and fluffy texture.
Add in the egg, molasses and vanilla extract. Continue to beat the mixture until fully combined.
Reduce mixer to a low speed and begin adding in the flour mixture in small amounts. (I did about a 1/2 cup at a time, combining each fully before adding in another scoop). Continue mixing until all of the flour mix is folded in to the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a clean flat surface. Flatten gently, then cover with plastic wrap and let chill for a minimum of 5 hours. (I moved my dough to the freezer after 4 hours to ensure it was cold enough. You can also let it chill overnight.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dust your work surface with flour and turn out your dough. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick (for a crispier cookie, roll slightly thinner).
Using cookie cutters, cut your desired shapes and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Gather the leftover dough and repeat steps 7 and 8 until you are out of dough. (You can rewrap and place your dough in the freezer while cookies are baking if it begins to get sticky and difficult to work with.)
Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown and no longer shiny. Let them cool completely (45min-1hr) before decorating.
Enjoy!
Frosting Ingredients
8oz. Plain Cream Cheese
1 stick of butter
3 cups of confectioners sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Frosting Instructions
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a mixer, combine until completely smooth.
Let the frosting chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until firm.
Color as desired and place into a piping bag to decorate!
And that’s it y’all! Even though this recipe does take a little more time, the majority of that is just chilling which makes this the perfect recipe to make the night before and bake the next day or spend a quiet Sunday in your kitchen. And I’m happy to say the cream cheese frosting makes them even better! If y’all give this one a try drop a comment below or let me know by tagging me on Insta @kathryn.s.platt! Thanks for baking with me!
Your Daily Dose of Sunshine,
Kathryn
