Gingerbread Men Cookies

How to make Gingerbread Cookies step-by-step:

Step 1: Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer until fluffy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla; beat until well combined.

Step 2: Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl.

Step 3: Add flour mixture to butter mixture and blend on low speed until dough comes together. Do not over mix.

Step 4: Divide dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Step 5: Heat oven to 375°F.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters (a gingerbread man cookie cutter is traditional!) to cut shapes and place on prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart. Gather dough scraps, re-roll, and cut more cookies.

Step 6: Bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Cool completely before decorating.

Pro Tips for Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

• Be sure to flatten the dough into a disc before chilling. Once chilled, it becomes too firm and difficult to roll out thin.
• Make sure your dough is well chilled before rolling. It makes cutting shapes so much easier.
• Lightly dust your rolling pin with flour and roll from the center outward, just enough to keep it from sticking to the top of the dough.
• Don’t over bake! Take them out when the edges just start to look set, even if the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay soft and chewy. If you bake them until they’re completely firm in the oven, they’ll be too hard once cooled
• Decorate after the cookies have fully cooled.
• For easy decorating, I used Great Value Cookie Icing for the white and Great Value Writing Icing for the red and green. It’s much cheaper than buying meringue powder to make royal icing and works great for detail work.

Storage and Reheating:

Storage: Store undecorated, cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Decorated cookies can be stored the same way once the icing has dried completely. 

Reheating: These are meant to be eaten at room temperature, no reheating needed. 

Freezing: Freeze baked cookies (undecorated) in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before decorating. You can also freeze the dough for up to 2 months.

Additions and Substitutions:

ADDITIONS:

• Extra Spice: Add a pinch of cloves or allspice for more depth.
• Orange Zest: A little orange zest adds a nice brightness to the spice flavors.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

• Sugar: I used light brown sugar for this recipe. You can use dark brown sugar for a richer, more molasses-forward flavor.
• Spices: Use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of measuring individual spices.

FAQs about these gingerbread man cookies:

Why is my dough too sticky to roll?

 The dough needs to be well chilled. If it’s still sticky after the hour in the fridge, chill it longer. You can also dust your rolling pin and surface with more flour.

Can I make the dough ahead? 

Yes! Wrap the dough disks tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen dough in the fridge overnight before rolling.

My cookies spread too much, what happened? 

Make sure your dough is cold when it goes in the oven. If your kitchen is warm, put the cut cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.

How do I decorate gingerbread cookies? 

Royal icing is traditional for decorating gingerbread. Use a piping bag for detailed designs. You can also use store-bought icing like I did, candy, raisins, or chocolate chips. Just make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating.