December 10, 2018

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Gingerbread Men Cookies. Soft, flavorful gingerbread men cookies. All the spices of Christmas in a chewy, delicious cookie.

Christmas Baking

Friends, I have something exciting to share. Until Christmas I am going to be sharing nothing but Christmas goodies and treats! Every Christmas I start baking treats around Thanksgiving. My goal is usually to make 12-15 treats that I will share with family and friends. Sometimes I make boxes to give out and sometimes I have brunch and invite over girlfriends to make their own boxes while we eat savory casseroles and scones.

Treat Goal Revisions

This fall has been busy. Between traveling for several weeks, our kids adjusting to preschool, work, and general life, there hasn’t much time for relaxation. I did start making treats last week, and I have made it through about 12 so far. I wanted to do something on the blog like, “Christine’s 12 Treats of Christmas.” And, I may do that, but honestly, editing photos and typing up posts is really time consuming. It’s a super fun creative outlet, but I also want to make sure it remains that way, and doesn’t became a stressor.

So, I may present to you 12 treats before Christmas. And I may present a handful …. TBD.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Today though, I am definitely presenting gingerbread men cookies to you. A) These are totally seasonal, so no one is going to get super excited if I share them in March. B) They are amazing and you need to know how to make them.

I started adding gingerbread men to my cookie rotation a couple of years ago and it was such a good move. When made correctly, they are chewy, spicy, and soft. I can’t even tell you how happy I get smelling them bake in the oven. The rolling of the dough is not my favorite activity, but it is totally worth it.

If you haven’t made gingerbread men cookies before, I highly recommend you make these for your next holiday cookie exchange or party!

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Gingerbread Men Cookies. Soft, flavorful gingerbread men cookies. All the spices of Christmas in a chewy, delicious cookie.

5 from 2 votes

Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Servings: 3″ cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Use mixer to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in dark brown sugar and molasses. Beat again until well combined.
Beat in egg and vanilla until combined, scraping down sides as needed.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, all spice, salt, and baking powder. Slow beat into butter mixture, about 1/2 cup a time, scraping down sides as needed.
Form dough into a large circle, about 1″ in thickness, and 12″ in diameter. Cover in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking maps.
Flour a working surface and place dough on surface. Lightly flour top of dough and roll until about 1/4″ thick. Cut out gingerbread cookies. Bake for 6-9 minutes, or until started to turn golden. Let cook on sheet for at least 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Notes

If you leave the dough in the refrigerator for longer than about 6 hours, you will need to let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before it’s ready to roll.
The measurement of tablespoon for cinnamon and ginger powder is correct.
To decorate these cookies, I use the royal icing recipe from here: Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.

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