Gingerbread Sugar Cookies

Do you want sugar cookies with a wonderful gingerbread flavor? Then these gingerbread sugar cookies are for you. While they are delicious on their own they are also the perfect canvas to decorate with royal icing or fondant.

Table of Content

• About this recipe
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Comments

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When I think of Christmas cookies, my gingerbread cookies are on that list. As a cake decorator, often, I'd have orders for decorated Christmas cookies. But, traditional gingerbread cookies are way too delicate for flooding or fondant.

So, I had to tweak my classic gingerbread recipe to make sure it could handle a little fondant or royal icing. And, it was always appreciated.

I cut this batch with my kids' favorite Christmas cookie cutters like the stockings, boots, gloves, hats, and Hanukkah cookies to decorate with fondant. Not long ago, I shared my knit inspired Christmas cookie tutorials decorated with fondant.

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About this recipe

The recipe is fairly simple and easy to make. A butter-based cookie dough using brown sugar and molasses along with wonderful warm gingerbread spices. The cookie dough has a soft consistency, and you will be very tempted to add more flour, but please do not add more flour.

The dough takes only 5 minutes to mix but it is very important that you chill these cookies well before you roll them. Roll them on a lightly floured surface and place them on a cookie tray. Dust off any excess flour before you chill and bake them.

Do take note, that, because these are already dark in color, it is easier to over-bake them. So, keep an eye on them and look for a slight color on the edges. As a guide, small size cookies like these will take about 8 to 10 minutes to bake, while larger ones take about 10 to 12 minutes.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Unsalted butter - I always use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt. And yet, you can use salted butter. If you do use salted butter omit the salt in the recipe.
• Molasses - I highly recommend you use molasses. It's what gives gingerbread cookies that unique flavor. Light corn syrup, golden syrup, or treacle are not the same.
• Brown sugar - Brown sugar has molasses, which adds to the flavor. And yet, if you must, go ahead and use white sugar. Also note, the texture of the cookies will be crisper than with white sugar.
• Eggs - I highly recommend you use one large egg, about 50 to 60 grams in weight. You want the dough to be firm but delicate with a little crisp on the edges.
• Spices - I am using ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. And yet, you can also use store-bought gingerbread spice.

Step by step instructions

• In the bowl, combine the flour and spices - cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
• in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and egg
• Followed by the flour. Divide the dough into two, wrap in plastic wrap, and let chill until firm enough to roll - about 2 hours or overnight.
  Tip - the dough is soft and needs to refrigerated, so avoid adding more flour.
• Once chilled, roll the dough to about ⅛ inch thick. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter. Re-roll the leftover dough and make more cookies.
  Tip - I use a rolling pin with spacers so the dough is the same thickness all over
• Place the cookies on a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the cookies in the fridge to chill for another 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven at 350 F or 170 C
• Decorate the cookies before baking (or after baking). You can add sprinkles or dragees to the cookies just before baking.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden.
• Cool - Once baked cool on the cookie sheet for 10 mins then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely
• Decorating after baking - Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until you have a smooth piping consistency.
• Add the icing to a piping bag with a small round piping tip like a number 2 or 3. Alternatively, you can also put the icing in a ziplock bag and cut a small snip at the end.
• Decorate as desired. Let the icing dry properly before you stack the cookies and store them in an airtight cookie jar.
• These cookies will stay good for a week

Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe