Soft Gingerbread Cookies Recipe 465

SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the molasses, brown sugar, water and butter until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, allspice, ginger, cloves and cinnamon, stir them into the wet mixture until all of the dry is absorbed. Cover the dough and chill for at least 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out into desired shapes. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• First, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
• Next, add egg and molasses and mix well.
• In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, stirring to combine.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Form or scoop balls of dough that are slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place them on a baking sheet approximately 2" to 3" apart to allow room for cookies to spread.
• Finally, bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking for approximately ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

GINGERBREAD MAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Add flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt to a mixing bowl and mix.
• Add the butter pieces and use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until the mixture resembles fine meal.
• With a mixer running on low speed gradually add the molasses and milk and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.
• Divide the dough in half, forming each into a ball. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, or place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until firm, if you're in a hurry.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove one dough sheet from the fridge/freezer and place on the counter. Roll out the dough (use a little flour on your rolling pin if needed), until it's about ½ inch thick. Cut gingerbread men and place them on prepared baking sheets.
• Refrigerate the gingerbread men for 5 minutes (meanwhile you can roll out the other dough ball).
• Bake the cookies until set in the centers and the dough barely retains and imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie cutter). Do not overbake!!
• Remove the cookies to a wire rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.
• Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.

SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer, whisk 1 egg yolk and 1 cup brown sugar until blended then whisk in 1 cup sour cream.
• Put 1/2 tsp baking soda in a large spoon ramekin and stir in 1/2 tsp white vinegar. It will foam, then pour into the mixing bowl and stir into batter.
• Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and whisk until well blended. Now using paddle attachment, add flour 1/2 cup at a time letting it incorporate before adding more. Dough will be very sticky.
• Scoop a rounded teaspoon of dough into well-floured hands and roll into 1" balls. Space balls evenly on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350˚F for 20- 25 minutes (I baked for 22 min) or until barely golden. Remove immediately.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat egg whites on high speed with whisk attachment until foamy and tripled in volume (2-3 min). Reduce speed to low and add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, mixing until well blended, scraping down the bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes or until creamy and smooth (do not over-beat).
• Once cookies are out of the oven and still warm, dip each one in the vanilla glaze, coating only the top of the cookie then set on a wire rack and let rest until glaze is dry. If you want to use crystal sugar or sprinkles, apply right after the glaze so the sprinkles stick to cookies.
• If using color, divide remaining glaze between ramekins and add desired colors. I used green, red and blue. Transfer colored glaze to individual ziploc bags and snip off the very tip of the bag. Once the glaze on the cookies is set, pipe on desired designs.

BIG SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. , Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until puffy and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

BIG SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
• 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. Store in an airtight container.

MOM'S BEST SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES (NEW! GB HOUSE DIRECTIONS!)

Steps:

• Place cloves in hot water; set aside.
• Cream shortening and sugar.
• Add egg and beat.
• Add molasses, beat.
• Remove cloves from water, discard cloves.
• Add clove water, beat. *Dough will look "curdled".
• Add rest of ingredients, except the last 4 cups flour, and beat. Gradually beat in last 4 cups flour.
• Chill dough.
• Roll out to 1/2" thick or slightly less.
• Cut into shapes.
• Decorate with raisins if desired.
• Place carefully on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake.
• *GB House directions:.
• Make dough the same as above, but roll dough out thin, 1/4" at most.
• Bake in 325 oven for about 20 minutes.
• Remove to racks to cool, and let harden/dry out a bit overnight for sturdiness if making large pieces.
• *Doors and windows need to be cut out PRIOR to baking. Fill any with crushed hard candy before baking, too. And pieces filled with hard candy baked the best on foil. Non candy-filled pieces were baked on parchment paper.