Description
Classic gingerbread cookies with a perfect balance of warm spices, molasses sweetness, and a hint of orange zest. These tender, aromatic cookies are chilled for easy rolling and baking, then decorated with festive icing and sprinkles for a delightful holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2” piece fresh ginger, grated (optional)
- Zest of 1 orange (optional)
- 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper (optional)
Decorating Ingredients
- Sugar cookie icing, for decorating
- Sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and molasses until the mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until well combined.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt until thoroughly mixed.
- Mix dough: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Incorporate the optional grated fresh ginger, orange zest, and finely ground black pepper (if using) until the dough just comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, roll each dough half between parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness and chill to firm up.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
- Roll and cut dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch wide gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes. Transfer the cutouts carefully to the prepared baking sheets. Alternatively, remove parchment sheets from rolled dough and replace one sheet underneath for easier handling.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes, or until they are slightly puffed and set. The exact time depends on the cookie size and thickness.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to set fully, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat and decorate: Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking steps with the second dough disc. Once cookies have completely cooled, decorate them with sugar cookie icing and sprinkles as desired for festive flair.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for easy rolling and clean cookie shapes.
- Optional fresh ginger, orange zest, and black pepper add complexity but can be omitted for a more classic flavor.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent sticking and aid even baking.
- For crispier cookies, bake a minute or two longer; for softer cookies, slightly less time.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gingerbread cookies, holiday cookies, molasses cookies, spiced cookies, Christmas cookies, ginger cookies
