gingerbread men
Make a gazillion Christmas cookies with sister? Check.
Just 47 more things to do and then I’ll be ready for Christmas. Maybe. No big deal.
Decorated gingerbread didn’t make the cut this year (I’m a bum!), thankfully, since we almost didn’t finish the cookies that did make our list. Yay for commercial ovens saving the day! Yay for baking six full sheet pans of cookies at a time!
May I show you our decorated gingerbread from years past? No? Too bad!
Eli gets in on the decorating, too. My Christmas wish: may our gingerbread not offend any delicate eyes. :D
the recipe
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- 6 cups 720 g all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL baking powder
- 2 sticks (1 cup) 227 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup 220 g packed dark brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons 20 mL ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons 20 mL ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 7.5 mL ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL finely ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 7.5 g coarse salt
- 2 large 100 g eggs
- 1 cup 340 g unsulfured molasses
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed with paddle attachment until fluffy.
- Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture; mix just until combined.
- Divide dough into thirds; wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least an hour.
- Roll out dough to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter; transfer to a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, about 12-14 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction
- 6 cups 720 g all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL baking powder
- 2 sticks (1 cup) 227 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup 220 g packed dark brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons 20 mL ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons 20 mL ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 7.5 mL ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL finely ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 7.5 g coarse salt
- 2 large 100 g eggs
- 1 cup 340 g unsulfured molasses
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed with paddle attachment until fluffy.
Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses.
Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture; mix just until combined.
Divide dough into thirds; wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least an hour.
Roll out dough to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter; transfer to a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, about 12-14 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
— from Martha Stewart's Holiday Magazine 2005, Cookies Special Issue
Royal Icing
- 1 pound 454 g powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons 75 mL meringue powder
- scant 1/2 cup about 110 mL water
- Put sugar, meringue powder and water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on low until smooth, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add water a few drops at a time; if too thin, mix icing a few minutes more.
- Put icing into a piping bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Keep tip covered with a damp paper towel when not in use. Decorate cookies and let dry, uncovered, for several hours before putting into a container.
each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction
- 1 pound 454 g powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons 75 mL meringue powder
- scant 1/2 cup about 110 mL water
Put sugar, meringue powder and water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on low until smooth, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add water a few drops at a time; if too thin, mix icing a few minutes more.
Put icing into a piping bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Keep tip covered with a damp paper towel when not in use. Decorate cookies and let dry, uncovered, for several hours before putting into a container.