Saturday, November 12, 2022

Melissa's Chewy Gingerbread Cookies


Gingerbread cookies are a favorite during Fall and Winter holidays! But who says you can't have them whenever you want? 

This recipe makes about 24 cookies, using a standard-size gingerbread cookie cutter. You can also use smaller cookies cutters, or do lots of different shapes like Christmas trees, candy canes, snowflakes, etc. 

The decreased flour and the use of brown sugar make for a more chewy cookie. I like to separate the recipe into multiple portions (3 equal portions if you want each to make 8 cookies-- 4 equal portions if you want each to make 6 cookies).  This way, I can bake only one portion. Just enough for a small treat! Then freeze the others for another day. 

Sure, you can buy this dough in the store. But let's be honest... You really only see it during Christmas time. Also, many times when you go looking for it, the store either doesn't have it in yet, or they are out (because people tend to hoard gingerbread dough). But if you know how to make it, you can simply whip up a bunch and freeze it for whenever you need it! Then its just as convenient as the store-bought kind, only it tastes better. 

Melissa's Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour (544g)

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp salt

12 tbsp (1 ½ stocks) unsalted butter (170g)

1 cup packed brown sugar (220g)

1 large egg

¾ cup molasses (255g)

½ tsp vanilla extract


Directions:

1. In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. 



2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until well combined. 




3. To the butter/sugar mixture, add the egg, molasses and vanilla. Blend very well. 

** Pro Tip: If you rub a thin layer of cooking oil all over the inside of the measuring container, the molasses will pour out and release from the container much more easily. Don't worry, this won't mess up your recipe, it is too small an amount of oil. 

You may notice that the mixture will begin to separate, looking gritty and clumpy. This is fine, and completely normal. It is just the sugar dissolving and separating from the butter fats and the egg. 






4. Remove about 1/3 to ½ cup of your flour/spice mixture and set aside to use later for rolling out the dough. 

Add the remaining flour/spice mixture to your wet ingredients, mixing only half in at a time. Blend well. 





5. Divide dough into 3 portions. Each portion will make about 8 gingerbread men (do 4 portions if you want each to make 6 gingerbread men). Place dough portions on sheets of plastic wrap and flatten them a bit. Wrap them tightly and place in the refrigerator to cool for 3 hours. This will make them easier and less sticky to roll.





6. Coat your rolling surface lightly with some of the flour you saved. You can also coat your rolling pin. Unwrap a portion of the dough and place on the rolling surface. Roll dough out so it is about ¼ inch thick. 


7. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes of cookies. Release the dough from the cookie cutter. Peel away the excess dough from outer edges of the cookie shape and carefully place cookie shape onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until the entire portion of dough is used up, re-rolling the scraps to cut more. If dough becomes too sticky, place in the freezer a few minutes. If I have a small dough ball left over, I usually roll it into a ball and flatten it slightly, and that will serve as my one round cookie, that I can eat fresh from the oven! 





8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).

9. While oven heats, place the baking sheet with cookie shapes in the freezer for 10 minutes. This helps the cookies hold their shape better in the oven. 

10. Remove baking tray from freezer. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F. for 7 to 10 minutes, depending how hot your oven bakes. Be aware, smaller sized cookies may only need 5 minutes. Check them early! Allow cookies to cool, then decorate and enjoy!  



TIP: You can eat these cookies as they are. Or you can decorate them with Royal Icing in a piping bag. 

Click Here For My Royal Icing Recipe

If you are not big on cookie decorating, a light dusting of powdered sugar adds a festive look. Also, in our family, we often just spread some of Mom's Buttercream Frosting over the top. 

Click Here For Mom's Butter Cream Frosting Recipe






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