Description
Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring warmly spiced dough made with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. These cookies are soft yet sturdy, perfect for cutting into fun gingerbread men shapes and decorating with sweet icing for a festive touch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Gingerbread Man Cookies:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons milk, or water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with the dark brown sugar until creamy and smooth. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a firm dough forms.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Chilling helps the dough to firm up, making it easier to roll and cut shapes without sticking.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the chilled dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Use gingerbread man cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are firm but the centers are still soft. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies tender inside.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the Icing: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk or water and the vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Add additional milk or water, one teaspoon at a time, until the desired icing consistency is reached—thicker for piping details and thinner for flooding.
- Decorate the Cookies: Using a piping bag or a small spoon, ice the cooled gingerbread men as desired. Allow the icing to set before serving or storing.
Notes
- For best flavor, chill the dough overnight to allow spices to meld.
- Use molasses for authentic gingerbread flavor; dark or blackstrap molasses can change the intensity.
- Decorate with additional toppings like mini candies or colored sugars for extra festivity.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For stiffer icing suitable for detailed decoration, reduce the liquid added.
