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Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies
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These classic Gingerbread Cookies combine warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with rich molasses and brown sugar to create a comforting, festive treat perfect for holiday baking. Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients, these cookies offer a tender, chewy or crisp texture depending on baking time, and are perfect for decorating, gifting, or enjoying alongside cozy beverages.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (a pinch)

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Prepare Your Ingredients: Gather all ingredients, measuring carefully, especially the spices, to ensure the authentic gingerbread flavor.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until fluffy and light; this step ensures a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
  3. Mix in the Molasses and Egg: Add the molasses and egg, mixing thoroughly with the butter and sugar for a smooth, rich dough.
  4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the spices.
  5. Incorporate Dry Ingredients into Wet: Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined to avoid overworking the dough and toughening the cookies.
  6. Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour; this helps flavor development and makes the dough easier to handle.
  7. Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes.
  8. Bake to Perfection: Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8-12 minutes, adjusting time based on your preferred texture.
  9. Cool and Decorate: Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating with icing, sprinkles, or enjoying plain.

Notes

  • Chill your dough to prevent spreading and maintain thickness and chewiness.
  • Use fresh spices for the best flavor impact.
  • Mix dough just until combined to avoid tough cookies.
  • Test bake a single cookie first to fine-tune baking time.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft.

Nutrition

Keywords: gingerbread cookies, holiday cookies, festive baking, molasses cookies, spiced cookies, Christmas cookies

Find it online: https://lillysplate.com/gingerbread-cookies/