"Christmas cookie season is here, and I can’t think of a cookie that’s more festive than gingerbread men."
Gingerbread Men Cookies Servings – 12 Prep Time – 10 Minutes Cook Time – 15 Minutes Ingredients:
Gingerbread Men
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar tightly packed (100g)
1/2 cup un-sulphured molasses
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Icing
3 cups powdered sugar sifted (375g)
2-4 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorative candies and sprinkles as desired
Instructions:
Cookies
Combine butter, sugar, and molasses and use an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat until ingredients are creamy and well-combined.
Stir in egg and vanilla extract until well-combined. The mixture may look like it's separating, this is fine and it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg).
With mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough is smooth, cohesive, and completely combined.
Divide the dough into two parts (it will be quite sticky, use a spatula) and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Rolling and Cutting Cookies
Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (alternatively bake cookies directly on un-greased baking sheet)
Generously flour a clean surface and lightly flour the dough as well (see note).
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to be approximately 1/4” (.6cm) thick, and use a cookie cutter (my gingerbread man cookie cutter is 4 x 3” and the snowflake is 3" in diameter) to cut out shapes.
Use a spatula to place cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2" apart and then transfer to 375F oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before decorating.
Gingerbread Cookie Icing
Combine sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. Look for a consistency where the icing that drizzles off the spoon and back into the bowl holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the rest of the icing. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thick but pipe-able. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.
Transfer to a piping bag with a piping tip (I use Wilton #5), or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off. Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, if desired.
Allow frosting to harden before enjoying (this took only about 30 minutes, but may take longer if your frosting is wetter)
Keep uneaten cookies sealed in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition:
Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg| Iron: 1mg
"These Gingerbread Men are the ultimate Christmas cookies! This recipe yields soft, yet firm gingerbread cookies that are perfectly spiced, buttery, and hold their shape beautifully. Top them off with my foolproof icing that makes plenty for decorating, and you’ve got yourself a fun holiday activity for the whole family."
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.