Serves 1
Directions
- 1Start by sifting the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt to ensure no lumps.
- 2In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: softened room temperature butter (broken into chunks), packed light brown sugar, and molasses.
- 3Using an electric mixer, beat the wet ingredients on high speed for about three minutes until light and fluffy.
- 4Add the room temperature egg and beat until well incorporated.
- 5Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until everything comes together.
- 6Generously flour your work surface and turn the soft and moist dough out onto it.
- 7Dust the top of the dough with flour to prevent sticking to your hands.
- 8Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- 9Pat each piece of dough into a disc, then wrap it in plastic wrap.
- 10Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, or up to twenty-four hours, to make it easier to roll out.
- 11Once the dough has been chilled, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper and lower third of the oven, or in the center if baking one sheet at a time.
- 12Keep your work surface and dough generously dusted with flour, moving the dough around to ensure it doesn't stick.
- 13Roll the dough out to one-quarter inch thickness.
- 14Cut out as many gingerbread people as you can using a cookie cutter.
- 15Re-roll and repurpose your scraps, refrigerating if the dough becomes too soft and sticky.
- 16Transfer the cut-out cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are at least one inch apart.
- 17Bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown.
- 18Transfer your cookies to a cooling rack and repeat baking with the remaining dough.
- 19While cookies cool, make the icing by combining powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until it has a thick ribbon consistency.
- 20Transfer the glaze to a piping bag immediately to prevent it from drying out.
- 21Snip off the very tip of your piping bag to create a hole large enough for decorating.
- 22Decorate your gingerbread family as desired, adding colorful holiday sprinkles while the glaze is still moist.
Ingredients
- 2.33 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.25 tsp ground cloves
- 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar
- 0.5 cup molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Equipment
SifterElectric MixerRolling PinGingerbread Cookie CuttersParchment PaperBaking SheetsPiping BagsCooling rack
Tips
- To thin out the icing, add a little bit more milk; to make it thicker, add more powdered sugar.
- Keep your work surface and dough generously dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough out to one-quarter inch thickness for crisp edges and a soft center.
- If dough becomes too soft and sticky, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm up.
- Bake smaller cookies for a shorter time and larger cookies for a longer time.
- The icing hardens when it dries, making it perfect for decorating.
- While the glaze is still moist, add colorful holiday sprinkles.
- You can divide the icing into different bags for a cookie decorating party.
- If you don't overbake the cookies, they will have a soft center.
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