Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 36-40
 
With a slight snap on the outside, chewy insides, and the signature flavor of molasses and spices, gingerbread cookies are a Christmas classic. Here is an easy recipe for gingerbread cutout cookies that do not spread and are fun to decorate with simple icing.
You will need:
For gingerbread cookies,
  • All-purpose flour - 3¼ cups
  • Baking soda - ¾ tsp
  • Salt - ½ tsp
  • Ground ginger - 1½ tsp
  • Ground cinnamon - 1½ tsp
  • Ground cloves - ½ tsp
  • Ground nutmeg - ¼ tsp
  • Ground cardamom - ⅛ tsp
  • Black pepper powder - ¼ tsp
  • Unsalted butter - ¾ cup, softened to room temperature
  • Brown sugar -1/2 cup, tightly packed
  • Egg - 1, large
  • Unsulfured molasses - ½ cup
For icing,
  • Powdered sugar - 1½ cups, sifted
  • Filtered water - 2 tbsp (or as needed)
How to:
  1. Gingerbread cookies: Sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, salt and spices) in a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in egg and molasses. Beat on medium speed until combined.
  3. Add the flour mixture in batches and combine on low speed, until dough comes together. Use a spatula at the end if dough seems to thick for the beater.
  4. Divide the dough ball into 3 or 4 parts. Flatten each part into a disc, cover tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. At this point, the dough can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Remember to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the baking part.
  5. When you are ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 deg.F. Line a couple of large cookies sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  6. Take the chilled dough from the refrigerator and set it out for 10 minutes to make it easier to work with.
  7. Flour your workspace, your rolling pin and cookie cutter. Roll out a disc of dough till about ¼" thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Re-roll scraps and use up every last bit.
  8. Place cookies on a large parchment covered cookie sheet, an inch apart.
  9. Refrigerate shaped cookies briefly, say 10-15 minutes. Bake cookies for 10 minutes.
  10. Remove from oven and use a spatula to remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, decorate with icing.
  11. Simple cookie icing: Whisk powdered sugar with water in a bowl until smooth. If your icing is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If your icing is too thick, add a tiny bit of water.
  12. Store icing in closed jar or a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator if you are not using it immediately. You can use a piping bag with a fine tip, a ziplock with the corner snipped off or a condiment squeeze bottle to ice the gingerbread cookies.
  13. Store iced cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes:
1. To make the cookies stand, make little rectangle shapes form the dough and bake them as usual. Attach shaped cookies like the gingerbread man, house, or church on to the rectangle cookie with a thick strip of icing. Hold firm for a few seconds till icing hardens.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2016/12/15/gingerbread-cutout-cookies/