Description
These Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and allspice combined with a rich molasses flavor. Soft, chewy, and beautifully decorated with a smooth vanilla glaze, they make perfect festive cookies to share or gift during the winter season.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, ensuring the sugar is well incorporated.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract and egg, mixing thoroughly to blend all wet ingredients.
- Add Molasses: Pour in the molasses and mix until fully combined, creating a smooth dough base.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix well to form a cohesive dough.
- Chill Dough: Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a large disc. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up, making it easier to roll out.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Divide the chilled dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half out to about ¼ inch thickness. Use a snowflake-shaped cookie cutter (or any desired shape) to cut out the cookies.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the cut cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or use an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Vanilla Glaze: In a bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk or cream, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk or powdered sugar so the glaze flows off a spoon yet holds its shape when drizzled.
- Decorate Cookies: Pour the glaze into a piping bag fitted with a small tip, and pipe intricate snowflake designs onto the cooled cookies for a festive finish.
Notes
- Be sure to chill the dough thoroughly; cold dough is easier to roll and helps cookies maintain their shape during baking.
- For a stronger spice flavor, consider adding a pinch of cloves or nutmeg alongside the other spices.
- Ensure cookies are completely cooled before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- If you do not have corn syrup for the glaze, light honey or golden syrup can be used as substitutes.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft and fresh for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
