Description
This classic Gingerbread Men recipe yields soft, flavorful cookies infused with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Perfect for holiday baking, these charming treats combine molasses and brown sugar for a rich depth of flavor and a tender, chewy texture. Ideal for decorating with icing or enjoying plain with a festive beverage.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour properly measured
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
- 1 large egg at room temperature
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt until fully blended.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to cream the softened butter until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Sugar and Vanilla: Beat in the dark brown sugar and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Incorporate Molasses and Egg: Beat in the molasses and the large egg until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in batches, mixing until a dough forms. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl sides between additions to ensure even incorporation.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two equal balls and flatten each into discs. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup and non-stick baking.
- Roll Out Dough: Working with one dough disc at a time on a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Keep the other disc chilled until ready to use.
- Cut and Transfer Cookies: Use gingerbread men cookie cutters to cut shapes from the rolled dough. Use a floured spatula to carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Add flour to the surface, rolling pin, and cutters as needed to prevent sticking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the gingerbread men in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned but the cookies remain soft.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating or serving.
Notes
- Flour Measurement: For best results, weigh your flour or spoon and level it to avoid dry dough.
- Spice Adjustment: Feel free to tweak the spice amounts to suit your taste preferences.
- Butter: Salted butter can be used by omitting the added salt in the recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar adds richer flavor; light brown sugar is a fine substitute.
- Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses for best flavor; avoid blackstrap molasses due to bitterness.
- Yield Variance: The number of cookies depends on the size and shape of your cookie cutters.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
