Thinking about what to leave out for Santa Claus or the Ghost of Christmas Past, near your fully-decorated tree? Then maybe it’s time to learn how to make gingerbread cookies for those holiday guests.
There’s just something about gingerbread cookies that screams „winter holidays” for me. Maybe it’s deeply rooted in my childhood nostalgia, like all of my neuroses, anxieties, and pop culture obsessions. The cookies are sweet, but also spicy, their texture makes them phenomenal for dunking in milk. Or eggnog!
How to make gingerbread cookies in 16 easy steps
1. Gather your ingredients
You will need 3 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, some nutmeg, salt, 3/4 cup of butter, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of molasses, one egg, and some vanilla extract.
2. Soften the butter
Remember to take the butter out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start making the cookies. Make sure the butter is soft before you start.
3. Mix the dry ingredients (except for the sugar)
Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Blend butter and brown sugar
Use a blender or a mixer to blend together the butter and the brown sugar, until the result is light and fluffy.
5. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract
Mix the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter and brown sugar combo.
6. Mix in the flour mixture
Mix in the flour mixture, until it incorporates. Don’t overwork the flour.
7. Shape the dough
Take the dough out of the bowl and press it into a ball. Wrap it in plastic.
8. Refrigerate
Keep the dough in the refrigerator for four hours or even until morning, if you’ve got time to spare.
9. Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
10. Flour your workspace
Sprinkle flour on your kitchen table or counter.
11. Roll out the dough
Use a rolling pin or your favorite substitute to roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness.
12. Cut into shapes
Use your preferred cookie cutter to cut the gingerbread cookies.
13. Place the cookies
Place the cut cookies on 1-2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave about an inch of space between them.
14. Bake
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and they’ve started to brown.
15. Cool
Let them cool a little after you’ve removed them from the oven. Then remove them from the baking sheets.
16. Decorate
Use some icing to decorate the cookies.
