Johannas Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, vinegar and egg and beat on high speed to blend thoroughly.
• Sift together the ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and 4 cups of the flour in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed shortening and sugar and mix to make a firm, manageable dough, adding more flour if needed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
• Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut it into desired shapes with a knife or cookie cutters. (You can reroll the scraps to make a few more cookies.) Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• For the royal icing: Beat the egg whites and 1/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar with a wire whisk or the whisk attachment of your mixer. Add another 1/3 cup sugar and the cream of tartar and beat 10 minutes longer. Add the remaining sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth and thick. The icing can be tinted as desired with food coloring.
• Ice the cooled cookies with the royal icing as desired.

MOIRA HODGSON'S GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix together the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the molasses and sugar. Beat in the spice mixture completely, then the water, then the egg.
• Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the butter mixture into the well. Stir about a quarter of the flour, the part closest to the center, into the molasses-butter mixture. Stir in half the remaining flour, then the rest. When all the flour has been incorporated, turn the dough out onto a board and knead until just smooth. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to two weeks.
• When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the baking sheets. Roll out some of the dough an eighth of an inch thick, keeping the rest well wrapped in plastic. Cut into shapes with a five-inch cookie cutter. Bake the cookies on their sheets for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, gently lift off the cookies with a spatula and cool them on a rack. Make the rest of the cookies the same way. Decorate the cooled gingerbread or leave plain.

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.

AUNT MABEL'S SUPER EASY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves together in a large bowl.
• Place molasses, canola oil, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar, and eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix, starting on low speed, until just combined. Mix in boiling water until combined; mixture will be very wet. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until center is rounded and edges are golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares. Best served warm, or at any temperature.