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Close-up of gingerbread men cookies with white royal icing and red and green buttons

Gingerbread Cookies

Soft-centered, crisp-edged gingerbread cookies with molasses, ginger and warm spices. The dough rolls and cuts cleanly, and a simple royal icing finishes them.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie dough
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (375 g)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper optional
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened (170 g)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar packed, dark or light (150 g)
  • 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap (170 g)
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Royal icing (optional)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp meringue powder
  • 3 tbsp water plus more to thin

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • Cookie cutters
  • Baking Sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Piping bag

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper until evenly combined.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the molasses, egg and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the bowl.
  4. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in two or three additions and mix just until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a 1-inch disc, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days).
Roll, cut and bake
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Roll one disc at a time to 1/4 inch thick, between sheets of parchment or on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Re-roll scraps once or twice.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate
  1. Beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder and water on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy with stiff peaks. Thin with water 1/2 teaspoon at a time to the consistency you need.
  2. Pipe onto completely cooled cookies and let the icing dry uncovered for several hours or overnight before stacking.

Notes

Texture: roll 1/8 inch for crisp cookies (6 to 8 minutes) or 3/8 inch for thick, soft cookies (10 to 12 minutes).
Molasses: use regular unsulphured molasses. Blackstrap is too bitter for this recipe.
Sharp shapes: freeze the cut cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before baking.
Storage: airtight at room temperature up to 1 week; baked cookies or dough freeze up to 3 months.
Yield: about 24 cookies with a 4-inch cutter; smaller cutters give more.