Gingerbread Cookies
By Cristina Acosta ©2007
My sister Alisa and I have been making these spicy cookies
since we were young teenagers. It’s a tradition that at
least one of us still does each year, and now my daughter looks
forwards to making them. These cookies taste great when they
are fresh and soft and also age well. They make great shaped
cookies, but because they rise a teeny bit they won’t
work for a gingerbread house. Alisa often makes the
cookies a few days ahead then invites friends to a decorating
party during the Christmas holiday. It’s great fun!
Time: To mix:
approx 15 min. To roll out and cut: about 5-10 minutes per
tray.
To cook: approx 10 – 13 minutes
Tools: Large mixer or
very strong arms and a whisk and stout spoon. Rolling pin,
Cookie sheets, Oven. Cookie cutters or a cup to create shaped
cookies.
Yield: Depends on the
size of your cutters. With 4”-5” tall gingerbread
people cutters makes about 4 - 5 dozen.
Cookie
Ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 ¼ Cup dark molasses
3 large eggs
1 cup butter, softened
1 T. baking soda
1 t. sea salt
2 Tablespoons ground Ginger
½ Cup finely chopped dried crystallized ginger pieces
(I put chunks in a blender with 1/4 C. flour and grind
till pieces are between the size of a rice grain and a
petite green pea)
1 t. ground allspice
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
7 to 8 Cups approx. white unbleached flour
Mixing:
1. In the mixing bowl combine butter and
sugar until whipped.
2. Add the molasses and eggs. Beat until
smooth.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together with 3
cups of the flour. Add to the wet mixture until mixed. Use a
mixer on medium for 2 minutes or so.
4. Add in flour a 1/2 cup at a time until
the dough is stiff.
5. This may become too much for your mixer
and you’ll have to add the last cup by hand. Don’t
add the last 1/2 cup if mixture feels dry.
6. Dough is stiff. Use immediately, or wrap
tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Rolling and
Baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 12
minutes
1. Lightly flour your work surface and with
a rolling pin roll a baseball-sized chunk of dough until
it’s about 1/8” thick. Cut with cookie cutters or
the rim of a cup dipped in flour.
2. Spray pans with non-stick spray or smear
them with a thin layer of butter
3. With a pancake spatula put cookies on pan
and cook.
4. Re-roll scraps and cut more cookies while
the others bake. Cool on wire racks.
Frosting:
With a mixer beat the following ingredients till stiff. Spread frosting across cool cookies with a knife. While it’s still wet add candy decorations to each cookie.
Ingredients:
4 C. confectioners sugar
3 large egg whites
¼ t. cream of tartar
Candy Decorations:
Chocolate drops, colored sugars, raisins nuts, etc.
