Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies
Delightful, holiday-inspired cookies filled with warm spices, perfect for decorating and sharing.
Ingredients
For the cookie dough
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling out the dough)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
For the royal icing
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons warm water
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
Preparation of the cookie dough
- In a bowl, mix the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the molasses and the egg to the butter mixture and mix well.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Make sure everything is combined.
- Divide the dough into two portions and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Baking the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men shapes.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Preparation of royal icing
- In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, warm water, meringue powder, and cream of tartar.
- Beat it until it forms stiff peaks. You can adjust the consistency with more water or powdered sugar if needed.
Notes
Chill the dough properly to prevent cookies from spreading when baking. Use parchment paper on your baking sheet for easy cleanup. Decorate with icing and sprinkles right after the cookies cool down. You can add chocolate chips or chopped nuts for a different flavor.