gingerbread cookies

Ingredients:

10 Tablespoons (2/3 cup; 145g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar

2/3 cup (160ml) unsulphured molasses

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 and 1/2 cups (438g) all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon ground ginger 

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Royal Icing: recipe below

Directions:

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for one minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium high speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky. 

Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of wax paper. Top with another piece of wax paper and pat into a disc. With a rolling pin roll the dough out into a quarter inch slab. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two to three large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove one disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Peel away the wax paper, cover it once again, flip the disc and remove the top piece of wax paper. Using a cookie cutter cut the dough into shapes and place on the prepared baking sheet one inch apart.

Repeat with the second disc. Then re-roll the dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. 

Bake cookies for about nine to ten minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for five minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, decorate as desired.

Cookies stay fresh, covered at room temperature for one week. They also freeze beautifully. Once the icing is completely hardened, place in Ziploc bags and freeze. To serve, take out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for at least thirty minutes.

Makes 24 4-inch cookies

royal icing

Ingredients:

2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar I 

1 ½ tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
4-5 Tablespoons room temperature water

Directions:

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder and four tablespoons of water together on high speed for two minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, beat in more water one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin continue beating and/or add a little more powdered sugar.

Makes 1 ½ cups

Note: Royal Icing freezes well. Divide the icing into disposable pastry bags. Place with into tall glasses small end down. Refrigerate until firm. Twist the open ends to close and place in a Ziploc bag and freeze. Thaw the bag in a tall glass small end down at room temperature. Unused icing can be frozen again for later use.