Gingerbread People
We all know the nursery rhyme:
“Run, Run, Run as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”
Which on a side note, is terrifying. Imagine baking a gingerbread cookie, and when you open the oven it suddenly bursts out and runs away while yelling at you. I don’t know which is more alarming- the bursting, the running, or the yelling. It’s probably just the being alive part. That story is a weird one, because I don’t actually remember learning a life lesson from that story. I just remember being confused as to why everyone in the story (the people, the farmyard animals and eventually the fox) where NOT AT ALL questioning why a cookie was talking and just wanted to eat him.
If any one is confused about my gingerbread cookie rant, feel free to google “The Gingerbread Man” nursery rhyme. Buckle up. It’s a weird one.
Anyway. Back to baking.
This recipe is great for people or houses. I personally like making a batch and using mini gingerbread people to top my gingerbread cupcakes or cake. These cookies package really well and would be a great addition to any cookie swap. They are flavorful and moist but are still durable enough to make a house.
One of the key things to getting the perfect gingerbread is letting your dough chill for a couple hours, or even better, overnight!
Gingerbread cookie dough is usually popular around Christmas and the winter holiday season due to its warm, spicy flavor and its structural integrity. Gingerbread cookie house kits are all the rage, and while I understand the ease of grabbing a pre-made kit, making gingerbread much easier than most believe. It’s a simple way to add some joy and love to your baking during the holiday season.
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Grounf Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Shortening
- 1/2 Cup Molasses
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the gingerbread spice blend and whisk together. Set aside.
- Cream together the shortening and the brown sugar until it is light in color, scraping down the bowl as you go.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the molasses, egg and white vinegar until it is combined. Add to your creamed shortening/brown sugar mixture slowly. It might look a little separated, but that’s okay! Keep going!
- With you mixer on medium, add your dry ingredient mixture a half cup at a time. Make sure to scrape the bowl when needed. Mix until just combined.
- Lay down a piece of plastic wrap, and place your completed dough in the middle. Press down the dough until it is a square shape and no thicker than an inch. Wrap the gingerbread dough completely in plastic wrap and place flat in your fridge.
- Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, but if you have the time, let it sit overnight.
- Once your dough is chilled and firm: Preheat your oven to 325°.
- Spilt your dough in half. Place one half back into the fridge while you work with the other half.
- Roll out dough to the desired thickness. For gingerbread people, I like an 1/8 of an inch to a quarter of an inch. For gingerbread houses, a quarter of an inch is the way to go.
- Place cookies on a cookie sheet that has parchment on it.
- For small cookies, bake them for 8 to 10 minutes. For larger cookies, bake them for 15 to 20 minutes. When they are slightly brown, are slightly firm to the touch and are able to be slid on the parchment.
Notes
