Gingerbread Cookies
The best Gingerbread cookie recipe. My go-to recipe for the holiday season
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 3 cups AP Flour
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Ground ginger
- ¾ tsp Ground cloves
- ½ tsp Ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ tsp Baking soda
- ¾ cup Salted butter, softened
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup Molasses
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Maple Royal Icing
- 2 lbs Powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp Meringue powder
- 2-3 tsp Maple extract
- ½ - ¾ cups Warm water
Instructions
To make the gingerbread cookies
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.
- In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg, molasses and vanilla extract.
- Reduce mixer to low and slowly add in the dry mixture to the wet until combined.
- Divide the dough into two. Wrap tight in plastic wrap and put in fridge to set for at least an hour.
- When ready to cut the cookies, preheat your oven to 350°. Prepare a couple of baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8 - 12 minutes until edges are crisp. Remove and let cool. Transfer to a cooling rack after 5 minutes.
To make the icing
- Mix maple extract with ½ cup warm water. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix sugar and meringue powder.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the water & extract mixture. It will look lumpy to start.
- Add additional water if needed, mix until you get a honey like consistency.
- Turn the mixer up to medium speed and whip about 3 minutes or until soft peaks form.
- Color, if desired and fill a piping bag with the icing.
Decorating the cookies
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, decorate with the icing how ever you would like.
- Add additional candies, sprinkles or decorations as you wish.
Notes
Instead of maple extract, you can use cinnamon extract to make a cinnamon royal icing.
I often use cinnamon candies, sprinkles or fun colors to give these cookies some holiday cheer.