Description
Delight in these classic Gingerbread Man Cookies, soft, chewy, and bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Perfect for holiday baking and decorating, these cookies are made with rich molasses and a hint of brown sugar, resulting in a flavorful treat that’s fun to make and enjoy.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into 12 pieces
- 3/4 cup dark molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
Frosting
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt thoroughly.
- Cut in Butter: Add the butter pieces to the dry mixture and use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until the mixture resembles fine meal.
- Add Wet Ingredients: With a mixer running on low speed, gradually add the molasses and milk. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. If short on time, freeze for about 20 minutes until firm.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll Out Dough: Remove one dough ball from the fridge or freezer and place it on a well-floured counter. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll out to about ½ inch thickness, dusting with additional flour if needed.
- Cut Shapes: Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Chill Cutouts: Refrigerate the cut cookies for 5 minutes to firm up before baking. Repeat rolling and cutting with the second dough ball.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 11 minutes or until the centers are set and barely spring back when touched gently. Avoid overbaking for chewy texture.
- Cool: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting or storing.
- Store Properly: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months for longer storage.
Notes
- This gingerbread recipe results in soft, chewy cookies filled with warm spices, perfect for decorating and holiday festivities.
- Refrigerating or freezing the dough before rolling is essential to prevent stickiness and improve handling.
- Do not overbake the cookies; slight softness in the center ensures a chewy texture after cooling.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- You can adjust the spices like cinnamon and ginger to your preference for more or less intensity.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 214 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 143 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg
