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–+ servings
Laura Lopez

Classic Soft-Baked Gingerbread Men Cookies

The quintessential holiday cut-out cookie! Packed with fragrant ground ginger, warm cinnamon, cloves, and rich dark molasses, these classic gingerbread men bake up with perfectly crisp edges and delightfully soft, chewy centers that never turn hard or brittle.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 165
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

Spiced Molasses Gingerbread Dough
  • 10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1/2 cup dark unsulfured molasses gives deep amber color and signature spice depth
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract alcohol-free halal
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger fresh pungent ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Easy Royal Icing for Decorating
  • 2 cups powdered confectioners sugar sifted
  • 1 1/2 tbsp meringue powder or warm milk for smooth pipeable icing
  • 2 to 3 tbsp warm water until pipeable consistency is reached
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 48 mini cinnamon candies or mini chocolate chips for buttons

Method
 

Mix and Chill Dough
  1. In a large stand mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the egg, dark molasses, and pure vanilla extract until completely smooth and glossy.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and fine salt.
  4. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients until a thick, pliable, fragrant dough forms.
  5. Divide the dough into two equal disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight) so the spices develop and the butter firms.
Roll, Cut & Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Generously flour your rolling surface. Roll out one dough disk to a thick 1/4-inch thickness (rolling too thin will make the cookies hard!).
  3. Dip a 4-inch gingerbread man cutter in flour and press firmly through the dough. Transfer cut-outs to prepared baking sheets spaced 1.5 inches apart.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies will look slightly puffed with set edges. For soft-baked centers, remove immediately at the 9-minute mark. Do not overbake!
  5. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pipe & Decorate
  1. Whisk confectioners sugar, meringue powder (or milk), warm water, and vanilla until a smooth, thick pipeable icing forms.
  2. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped).
  3. Pipe cheerful faces, squiggly wrist cuffs, buttons, and bowties onto the cooled gingerbread men. Press small cinnamon candies or chocolate drops onto the icing buttons. Let dry for 30 minutes to set.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

Serving: 1g Calories: 165cal (8%) Carbohydrates: 28g (9%) Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 5g (8%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Cholesterol: 20mg (7%) Sodium: 90mg (4%) Potassium: 115mg (3%) Fiber: 0.8g (3%) Sugar: 16g (32%) Vitamin A: 160IU (3%) Vitamin C: 0mg (0%) Calcium: 35mg (4%) Iron: 1.3mg (7%)
Keywords: christmas cookies, classic gingerbread, gingerbread men cookies, holiday cut out cookies, soft gingerbread cookies

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