Hello, bakers and decorators! We’re halfway through November already, can you believe it? Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be over and we’ll be smack in the middle of Christmas chaos. I wish that time would go just a little bit slower sometimes, don’t you? Recently, I was thinking about how to stretch the holidays into something that feels a little more manageable- right now we go from pumpkins to turkeys to Christmas trees with barely a breath in between any of them. And so, I decided to solve the world’s problems with gingerbread cookies.
Okay, okay… maybe not the world’s problems. But at least, I’d solve one of my own problems- the constant holiday changeovers. What I love about gingerbread (aside from the taste, and the smell, and so on!) is that it just feels like “holiday season” to me, not specifically Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other fall/winter holiday. Basically, if it’s getting cold out, it’s time to make these cookies.
There’s all sorts of gingerbread to make out there. There’s really soft stuff, really crunchy stuff, and every level of spice imaginable. My gingerbread cookies have a bit more of a ‘snap’ than my traditional sugar cookies, but you can definitely make them softer by increasing the thickness when rolling out the dough and by adjusting your baking times accordingly. If you like a softer spice cookie, check out my altered Pepparkorker recipe here!
You can also alter the spice levels in these cookies if you like. I am a person that adores dark spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. If you want to dial them back, you should do so! I’ve written the recipe here with my spice preferences dialed back a bit, so that it appeals to more people. I’d encourage you to make it as written the first time and then increase/decrease your preferred spices by ¼ to ½ teaspoons in future batches if you like.
What The Heck Is Blackstrap Molasses?
This recipe calls for blackstrap molasses. Just the name of it makes the think of banjos and country evenings for some reason, but what is it really? It looks almost the same as regular molasses, but the sugar content has been cooked down to a lower level. Normal molasses is about 70% sugar, while blackstrap molasses has a sugar content of about 40-45%. You can find it in more expansive grocery stores, although sometimes it’s only in an organic version (read the ingredients list if it’s not labelled ‘blackstrap’ on the front to check). You can also find it on Amazon if you really want that complex flavor. But hey- we don’t all have time to source random things like that, and if you don’t, it’s okay! You can use regular molasses and it’ll still be great, I promise.
Do I Really Need Dark Brown Sugar?
This recipe calls for dark brown sugar, not light (the difference between the two being the molasses content). Honestly, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten halfway through dumping ingredients in a bowl and then realized that I don’t have the right brown sugar. If you only have light brown sugar available, we can make it work! Just add an extra tablespoon of molasses to your batter at the same time. Problem solved!
How Do I Decorate These Cookies?
I’m a cookie decorator, of course I’m going to want to decorate these. However, I rein in my extra precious side and keep these cookies decorated with white royal icing (piping consistency) only. The cookies themselves are so dark that I don’t find normal icing colors very attractive on them. And plus, there’s something so classy about a simple, well decorated cookie- and these gingerbread cookies are the perfect canvas for that! You can find my favorite royal icing recipe at the bottom of this post.
Well, let’s get baking! We don’t have a minute to spare as the season continues to fly by!
Easy Holiday Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp butter salted, softened
- ½ cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 2½ cups flour all purpose
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, softened butter, molasses, baking soda, egg, and all the spices. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the flour in small amounts, mixing until just combined. Dough will be stiff (if your dough is sticky, add more flour 2 Tbsp at a time until at desired thickness).
- On a floured surface, roll out dough to about ¼". (If you like a softer, chewier cookie, you can go as thick as ½", but increase baking time by 2 minutes.) Cut desired shapes and place at least half an inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 11 minutes, checking at 10 for firmness. Once done, remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. Decorate as desired!
Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp meringue powder
- 4 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar sifted
- 1/2 tsp Karo syrup (optional)
- 1/8 tsp clear flavored extract (optional)
Instructions
- Combine water and meringue powder in a bowl and beat with mixer until frothy.
- Sift powdered sugar into the same bowl and mix to combine
- Add syrup and extract if desired
- Beat the icing for 4-5 minutes until it is glossy and holds a peak if the beater is turned upside down
Medium Consistency
- Continue to add water ½ Tbsp at a time until at desired consistency (icing should disappear into itself in about 5 seconds after being dripped back into the mixing bowl).
Flooding Consistency
- Continue to add water ½ Tbsp at a time until at desired consistency (icing should disappear into itself in about 3 seconds after being dripped back into the mixing bowl).
Well, how did they turn out for you? I bet your house is smelling amazing right about now! Make sure to shoot me any questions or thoughts in the comments, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! Until our next baking adventure, happy baking!
