Gingerbread Man Cookies

 

Making Gingerbread Man Cookies is my favorite holiday tradition and this recipe is the best I've ever had. Every time I make a batch of them they are devoured by everyone within an hour. They have all of the classic gingerbread flavor, but are more soft and chewy.

Yield: Makes 2 dozen cookies

 

Things you'll need

Ingredients
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup molasses
Decorations
  • Round red cinnamon candies (Red Hots)
  • Royal Icing

Equipment

  • Gingerbread man cookie cutter
  • #3 decorating tip

Let's get started!

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
  2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Mix in the egg and molasses.
  4. On low speed, mix in half the flour mixture, then repeat until well combined.
  5. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a ¼ inch thickness. Cut out gingerbread men using the cookie cutter and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
  8. Freeze the cookies for 15 minutes.
  9. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch and look dry, about 10 minutes.
  10. While the cookies are still warm, gently press 3 Red Hots down the center for buttons.
  11. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Time to decorate!

  1. Make the Royal Icing and scoop into a decorating bag fitted with a #3 tip.
  2. Pipe eyes, mouths, and trim details onto the gingerbread men.

 

 

 

Written By Rosanna Pansino