Description
Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies with a perfect balance of spices, molasses, and buttery dough, decorated with options of royal icing, glaze, or buttercream frosting. These festive cookies are soft, tender, and hold their shape beautifully, making them ideal for holiday baking and decorating projects.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Royal Icing
- 1/4 cup meringue powder or 3 egg whites
- 4 cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
- 6 tablespoons warm water (omit if using egg whites)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Glaze Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 6-7 tablespoons milk or more as necessary
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 batch Buttercream Frosting
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add 1 cup dark brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping sides as needed. Add 1 cup molasses and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Prepare dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, spoon and level 4 cups all-purpose flour. Stir in 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice, breaking up any clumps.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture on the lowest speed until just combined with no visible flour streaks. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Chill the dough: Divide dough into 3 portions, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until firm. (Alternatively, freeze for 30 minutes then refrigerate for 30 more minutes.)
- Prep for baking: Line 3 half baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out the dough: Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll one disc of dough to about 3/8 inch thickness, turning and flouring as needed to prevent sticking.
- Cut the cookies: Dip cookie cutters in flour, then cut shapes close to dough edges. Transfer cut cookies gently onto prepared baking sheets with 1-2 inches of spacing. For best shape retention, optionally chill cookie-cut dough on baking sheets in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking.
- Bake: Bake three sizes at 350°F according to size: 2-inch cookies for 6-8 minutes, 3-inch for 8-10 minutes, and 4-inch for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies when centers lose their shiny, raw appearance but are not overbaked.
- Shape while warm: Within 30-60 seconds after removing from oven, nudge cookie edges if desired using a knife side for perfect shapes, and separate any cookies touching.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes to firm up further, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in sealed containers to keep soft.
- Decorate with chosen frosting: Use one of three options:
- Royal Icing: Whisk together 1/4 cup meringue powder and 4 cups powdered sugar. Add 6 tablespoons warm water gradually, beating until thick but pipeable. Tint with gel colors as desired and pipe details.
- Glaze Icing: Mix 2 cups powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and slightly thin. Dip cookies into glaze, place on racks, and let dry 1-3 hours. Rotate cookies to prevent sticking.
- Buttercream Frosting: Prepare buttercream frosting, tint if desired, and spread or pipe onto cookies using spatula or piping bag for a rich finish.
- Storage and freezing: Store unfrosted or appropriated frosted cookies in airtight containers for up to 4-5 days. Freeze dough wrapped for 1-2 months or flash freeze cut shapes. Freeze baked cookies unfrosted or frozen with frostings as per type, thawing carefully to maintain texture.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 24 three-inch cookies.
- Royal icing can be made with egg whites as an alternative to meringue powder; beat 3 egg whites until frothy, add powdered sugar gradually until thick and pipeable.
- For shipping cookies, use a special glaze recipe (like one for glazed donuts) that dries firmer and seals moisture.
- Buttercream frosting cookies are not stackable unless mixed with meringue powder to slightly crust.
- Use an adjustable measuring cup for sticky ingredients like molasses to ease measurement.
- Do not overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies.
- Rolling dough to 3/8 inch thickness ensures soft and tender cookies rather than hard.
- Shape or separate cookies immediately after baking while still warm for best results.
- If chilling cookies on pans before baking is not possible, ensure dough is very cold when baking for better shape retention.
- Rotate cookies while glaze is drying to prevent sticking to racks.
- Flash freezing dough or cut cookies saves time and maintains freshness for later baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (3-inch)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
