Few things make the house smell as good as a pan of gingerbread cookies in the oven. The spicy sweet aroma of brown sugar, molasses, and ginger most certainly bring the season alive. This traditional holiday treat is loved in many parts of the world. The origin of the gingerbread cookie appears to date back to the 1500’s in Germany. The Grimm Brothers fairy tales boosted the popularity of gingerbread and the custom of making houses. These fairy tale cookies are still very popular today and making these cookies has become an annual tradition for many families.
A holiday classic gingerbread roll out cookie dough with the perfect blend of spices for the season.
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons meringue powder
- 2-3 drops gel food coloring optional
- 1-1½ tablespoons water as needed for piping consistency
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Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add sugar and molasses. Continue heating until the sugar is completely dissolved stirring often. Add salt and spices and stir to combine. Remove from heat and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before beating in the egg.
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Whisk dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add to the molasses mixture stirring to completely combine.
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Divide the dough in half and form each half into a thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for at least an hour to chill. The dough is a bit sticky and needs to be completely chilled to roll.
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Heat oven to 350°F and line several baking trays with parchment paper.
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Work with one half of the dough at a time, rolling dough out on a floured surface to 1/8” or ¼”. Dip cutters in flour and cut out shapes as close to each other as possible. Roll scraps into a ball and place back in the fridge to chill before rerolling.
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Bake cookies for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Let the cookies cool for several minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.
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In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add color if desired. Add water a teaspoon at a time until desired constancy for piping. If icing becomes too stiff and a few drops of water.
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Allow icing to dry for several hours before storing.
Placing plastic wrap over the top of the dough for rolling will keep it from sticking without adding additional flour.
Chill any scraps before re-rolling.