Classic Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth until ready to frost cookies.

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg until combined.
• Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir into butter mixture until just combined.
• Roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, mixing until combined, then add the molasses and orange zest and beat on medium speed until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour is incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and sticky.
• Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured baking sheet and pat it flat to a 1-inch thickness. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour and up to 4 weeks.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Cut the chilled dough into quarters On a well-floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/8 inch thick (keep the remaining dough in the freezer). If the dough sticks to your work surface, slide an offset spatula under the dough to release it and dust the work surface with more flour.
• With a 4-1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and use an offset spatula to transfer them to the baking sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. Brush off any excess flour.
• Gather and press the dough scraps together, then roll to 1/8 inch thick, and cut out more shapes. Add any remaining scraps to the next quarter of chilled dough. Continue rolling and cutting until the baking sheets are full.
• Bake the cookies, rotating and swapping the sheets' positions halfway through baking, until firm to the touch and the edges are slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Slide the cookies on their parchment onto racks and let cool. Roll out and bake the remaining dough in batches on fresh sheets of parchment.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer) mix the confectioners' sugar, powered egg whites, and cream of tartar on low speed. Increase the speed to medium low and add 3 to 5 Tbs. of water, 1 Tbs. at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is evenly moistened and the whisk leaves small trails that disappear quickly, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to beat on medium low until the icing is thick, glossy, smooth, and free of lumps, about 5 minutes more.
• To test for proper consistency, put a dot of icing on the counter with a toothpick. If, when you pull up the toothpick, the icing forms a peak that slowly melts back into the dot, the icing is ready. If the peak stays up, it's too stiff: Add 1 tsp. of water to the icing, beat to combine, and test again. Repeat if necessary.
• Scrape the icing into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. (You can also use a plastic squeeze bottle or a plastic sandwich bag with a corner trimmed off.) Decorate the cookies as you like and let sit until the icing is completely set, about 40 minutes.
• Store baked and decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, egg and vinegar. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until easy to handle (dough will be sticky)., On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with 4 in. cookie cutters dipped in flour. Using a floured spatula, place cookies 1 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 5-6 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool., For icing, combine confectioners' sugar and milk in bowl. Spread over cooled cookies; let dry completely. If desired, combine paste food coloring and a few drops of water; using a fine brush or the blunt end of a wooden skewer, decorate cookies.

BEST-EVER CHEWY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In small bowl, place granulated sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set and soft in center. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Store tightly covered up to 1 week.