Oh, the smell of gingerbread cookies baking in the oven at Christmas time! If you love it as much as I do you are going to love this recipe for Gingerbread cutout cookies. This recipe for the classic Christmas cookies is perfect for baking gingerbread men to leave out for Santa Christmas Eve. Also great with a cup homemade hot chocolateor perhaps this simple to make peppermint mocha — both topped with whipped cream of course!
My gingerbread cutout cookies are my husband’s favorite cookie, and because of that, I make them as reindeer at Christmas time, hearts at Valentines, and bunnies at Easter time.
Why reindeer? Well the first Christmas we were married I tried making them as gingerbread men, but the gingerbread man cookie cutter I owned had such narrow arms I couldn’t seem to make them without the arms falling off. I had this reindeer cookie cutter and it seemed to stay in one piece so they sort of became a tradition.
Sometimes if I am making them for guests I will stick a red M&M on the nose with a bit of icing, making them Rudolph the red nose reindeer cookies, but my husband doesn’t like them as much that way so I don’t do that often.
The recipe for these cookies is one my family has used since I was little. We never rolled it out though instead, we made it into giant teddy bears with raisin eyes. Very yummy but not practical to feed a man who eats half a dozen of these in one sitting.
This recipe is a molasses based gingerbread recipe which I think gives them a rich flavor. I love using Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Molasses which is unsulphured to give it a bolder flavor, but I can’t always find it in the grocery stores near me so I often use Grandma’s Robust unsulphured instead.
A Few Tips For Making Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies
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- Let the butter, molasses and butter and sugar mixture completely cool before mixing it with the dry ingredients
- Thickly rolled cookies are chewier. Thinly rolled cookies are crisper.
- Always chill the dough at least one hour before rolling it out.
- Only roll out a few cookies worth of dough at one time. Cookie dough rolled out too many times can lead to hard cookies.
- Always use unbleached flour, real butter and real vanilla for best results.
- Rub flour on your rolling pin before you roll out your dough. This will prevent it from sticking.
- Cover your baking cooling rack with wax paper first so that your cookies don’t end up with wire marks on the back of them.
A Few More Christmas Recipes You Are Going To Want To Check Out …
- No-Bake Christmas: 5 Super Simple Recipes That Don’t Require You To Turn On Your Oven
- Peppermint Candy Ice-Cream: No Machine Needed
- Secrets For Baking Fabulous Sugar Cookies
Gingerbread Cutout Cookies: A Classic Christmas Recipe
Snail Pace Transformations
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2/3 cups brown sugar
- 2/3 cup molasses
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
In a saucepan place butter, brown sugar and molasses. Place on stovetop over medium heat. Stir until melted and blended well. (stir frequently this isn't the kind of thing you can leave simmering on the stove it goes fairly fast)
Take off heat and let the mixture cool. This takes at least an hour.
Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Combine dry and wet ingredients and then add in 1 beaten egg and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix well. If it seems dry add an additional egg.
Gather the dough into a big ball and then cover in saran wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 F
While oven is heating roll out to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place lightly greased cookie sheets.
Place in oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes (depends on how thick you rolled them out. The thicker the cookie the longer it takes to bake)
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FAQs
From festively shaped biscuits to extravagantly decorated gingerbread houses, gingerbread has become a culinary staple of Christmas.
What's the difference between gingerbread cookies and ginger cookies? ›
While molasses cookies and gingersnaps are rolled into dough balls and then baked, gingerbread is rolled flat then use cookie cutters to cut your desired shape. This Gingerbread Cookie recipe is foolproof and SO easy to make.
Which molasses is best for gingerbread cookies? ›
Medium Or Dark Molasses
“It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.”
What makes gingerbread cookies crack on top? ›
You have a few things that can go wrong: The oven isn't hot enough. (it needs to set the top before the middle's fully risen) Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set)
What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›
Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).
What is the original Christmas cookie? ›
Also called Amish sugar cookies or Nazareth sugar cookies, the modern sugar cookie was created by the Moravians, who settled in the Nazareth area from Germany during the mid-18th century. Pennsylvania adopted the Nazareth sugar cookie as the official state cookie in 2001.
Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? ›
Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!
Where are gingerbread cookies popular? ›
Chinese recipes were developed during the 10th century and by the late Middle Ages, Europeans had their own version of gingerbread. The hard cookies, sometimes gilded with gold leaf and shaped like animals, kings and queens, were a staple at Medieval fairs in England, France, Holland and Germany.
What are the three types of gingerbread? ›
The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
- BROWN GINGERBREAD.
- WAFER GINGERBREAD.
- HONEY GINGERBREAD.
Molasses – Essential for that deep, rich, caramel-like gingerbread flavour! It also helps hold the dough's shape. Golden syrup makes a great sub, or treacle. Honey will also work, but the cookies will spread out a touch more and not have the same deep flavour (but still very, very good!).
Blackstrap Molasses
Though it's ideal for savory foods such as barbecue sauces and stews, Bourdon cautioned against choosing blackstrap for cookies. “Please avoid this dark and bitter molasses for your baking recipes,” she said. “It will make your cookies dry and quite frankly inedible.
Can I use maple syrup instead of molasses in gingerbread? ›
It also makes for a top-notch swap for molasses. It tastes almost like a mix of malt and caramel, with an even level of sweetness. Like molasses, it comes in a variety of shades. Just note that maple syrup is a lot thinner than molasses, so you might want to use a 3:4 ration in baked goods.
What happens if you put too much butter in gingerbread cookies? ›
it's going to beat too much air into the butter. and it will cause the cookies to spread way too much. so those are the main issues that can cause too much spreading.
Why are my gingerbread cookies so dry? ›
“It shouldn't look flat or dry,” he said. “There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”
Why are my gingerbread cookies bland? ›
Mistake #1: Underseasoning your dough
Something has definitely gone wrong if your gingerbread is bland and doesn't have a distinct ginger flavor. To prevent this from happening, Lomas recommends using several different types of ginger: dried ground ginger, fresh ginger and candied ginger.
Is gingerbread Halloween or Christmas? ›
Sure, gingerbread houses have traditionally been a Christmas season activity, but we say it's about time some other holidays got in on the fun. Up first on the list: Halloween. Lucky for you, we've got the ghoulish guide to making the spookiest gingerbread house on the block.
Is gingerbread a Christmas treat? ›
Gingerbread is a warm treat, and decorating your homemade cookies with the entire family has made it a Christmas must-have.
Is the gingerbread man part of Christmas? ›
The Gingerbread man is one of England's most frequently used Christmas decorations. Its creation is attributed to Queen Elizabeth !, who is thought to have served the gingerbread figurines to visiting dignitaries. Lebkuchen, the German gingerbread, is likely to be the oldest Christmas gingerbread cookie.
Are gingerbread houses considered Christmas? ›
Making gingerbread houses is a Christmas tradition in many families. They are typically made before Christmas using pieces of baked gingerbread dough assembled with melted sugar. The roof 'tiles' can consist of frosting or candy. The gingerbread house yard is usually decorated with icing to represent snow.
