How To Make The Best Gingerbread Cookies!

One of my favorite things about winter and the Holiday season is making (and eating, of course) gingerbread cookies. I’m all about straying from the traditional Holiday gingerbread shapes, so we made a more modern version with donuts, and cacti, and ice cream cones! Yes, you read it right, gingerbread cookies shaped like DONUTS! It doesn’t get much cuter than this, folks. I always have trouble, though, finding my favorite kind of gingerbread cookies in the store. Store-bought cookies just don’t cut it when it comes to gingerbread, so I’m sharing with you my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe to make the BEST cookies for the Holidays, plus all of the tips you need on how to decorate them with royal icing! So what are you waiting for, we’ve got some baking to do!!

For the gingerbread cookies:

Cookie cutters (I used a cactus, donut, lips, and ice cream cone)
Rolling pin
3 cups flour, plus more for dusting surface
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the royal icing:


5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
Food coloring
Piping bag and piping tip

For the gingerbread cookies:


1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until combined.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and egg until well mixed. Add in molasses and vanilla to the mixture and combine. 

3. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until completely mixed together and cookie dough consistency is achieved. 

4. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Put in the freezer for 1-2 hours. 

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Dust surface and rolling pin with flour and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough to 1/4″ thick. 

6. Using your cookie cutters, cut out each shape and transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, 6 if you want a softer cookie. Transfer cookies to a drying rack and allow to cool completely before adding royal icing.

For the royal icing:


1. With a mixer, beat the egg whites with the vanilla until frothy. Add the powdered sugar until combined. 

2. Turn your mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes until the icing is stiff and glossy. Add in food coloring and transfer to a piping bag.




Decorating:


1. Outline the outer edge of the cookies with a line of icing. Allow a few minutes for the icing to start to dry.

2. Color in the middle of the cookie with icing and allow that to dry before adding any details on top of the cookie. You can either use more icing or a food coloring marker to decorate the top. Or in my case, sprinkles!

Are you hungry for gingerbread yet? Don’t worry, you can come over to the studio because we are swimming in gingerbread cookies over here after this post! Take your pick; ice cream cone, donut, lips, or cactus? Ha! Have fun baking!