Welcome to Homeschooled Cookie’s Gingerbread Cookies! These cookies are so good. I make them every year for Christmas. I love decorating gingerbread cookies every year. It’s so much fun! I’ve brought them to parties many times, and everyone loved them. They can also easily be made with gluten-free flour. This recipe is very hard to mess up! Before we start, let me share some tips and things you should know when making these cookies.
Making the Dough 🍪
Making the gingerbread cookie dough is super duper easy, but there are a few things you need to be aware of.
No Stand Mixer? No Problem!
I tell you to use a stand mixer in this recipe because it’s easier, but you don’t HAVE to use one. Before I got my stand mixer, I used an electric handheld mixer. It wasn’t as easy, but it worked! So, you can totally use a handheld mixer, but it’s not as easy.
Ingredients
Now let’s talk about the ingredients. First, the butter can’t be too softened, but don’t panic if you accidentally keep it in the microwave for too long! I’ve done that before, and it’s fine because it gets chilled.
For the flour, you can replace it with gluten-free flour easily. I’ve made these with gluten-free flour many times, and it’s always amazing!
Finally, for the seasonings, this recipe uses ground ginger. Some modern recipes use candied ginger, but this one is a more classic recipe. This recipe is perfect for people who don’t like a strong ginger or clove taste.
DO NOT OVERMIX THE DOUGH!!!
Something else you need to know when making the dough is not to overmix. This results in a tough, chewy cookie that you don’t want. Thankfully, it’s very easy to know when the dough is mixed well enough. When you don’t see flour at the bottom anymore, it’s done. I actually tried to overmix one piece of dough when making these yesterday, but it just spread a bit more and tasted ok. Basically, it’s hard to overmix the dough if you’re paying attention and not being careless.
Chilling Time
The three hours that the dough chills in the fridge are important. Chilling the dough ensures that a cookie doesn’t spread in the oven and become a sad blob instead of a gingerbread man.
Rolling and Baking the Dough
Rolling and baking the dough is the next step in making these gingerbread cookies. This step is fun and makes the kitchen smell like Christmas!
Rolling
Rolling the dough is very fun! Something to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t over-handle the dough or use too much flour. When you reroll the scraps, remember this. Also, bake the thicker cookies together on the same cookie sheet.
Baking
Baking the dough is easy. Bake it for six minutes. If the cookies are thicker, cook them for 7-8 minutes. When a cookie is done, it should be dark and a bit puffy.
Decorating Cookies (my favorite part 😃)
Decorating gingerbread cookies is my favorite part! Let me tell you how to decorate them!
Making the Frosting
Depending on how many you decorate, you may need more or less than the recipe says. My recipe has butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Adjust depending on your needs.
You can also add food dye to the frosting to make it pretty. I use Watkins Natural Food Dye (This is an affiliate link. That means when you buy from that link, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you!) to color frostings.
Decorating
For decorating the cookies, you can copy my designs or find some that you like on Pinterest (by the way, follow me on Pinterest so you can save your favorite content!). I like doing outlines because they are so simple, but still pretty. Add sprinkles to make your cookies super cute.
Also, if you like decorating as much as me, try out my edible Christmas cookie dough bars! They are so much fun to decorate!
Ok, that’s all you need to know when making these cookies! Let’s dive into the recipe!
Homeschooled Cookie’s Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 5 cups flour feel free to use gluten-free flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
For the Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk adjust depending on what texture you want
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- First, mix the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. You can use a handheld mixer if you don't have a stand mixer. Add the molasses, egg, and vinegar. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer a bit at a time. Let it chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup molasses, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 5 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- After 3 hours, preheat the oven to 375. On a floured surface, roll out a chunk of dough and use cookie cutters to cut out the shape you want. Reroll the scraps or bake them so you can snack on scraps while baking! Place each cookie on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. When a cookie sheet is full, bake it in the oven for 6-8 minutes, depending on how thick the cookies are. When the cookies are cool, transfer them to a plate. Repeat until you have no dough left.
- After the cookies cool for at least 1 hour, make the frosting. Soften the butter and mix in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla or any other flavors you want. You can add food dye. Add the frosting to a resealable bag and cut a tiny part of the edge off, or use a piping bag kit if you have one. Decorate the cookies the way you want. Enjoy!6 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Thanks for trying Homeschooled Cookie’s Gingerbread Cookies! If you tried this recipe, comment below on how it went. I’d love to hear from you! That’s all! Bye, girlies!
Related Posts:
About Danya Grace
Leave a Reply