Prep: 50 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 1 hour
Soft and chewy gingerbread cookies made from scratch.
Ingredients
Gingerbread cookies
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 135 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 160 grams (1/2 cup) golden syrup or molasses
- 1 egg yolk
- 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Easy icing
- 125 grams (1 cup) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons warm water
- Red and green M&M’s
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugar using an electric beater on medium speed until combined. Add molasses or golden syrup and egg yolk. Beat again until a creamy mixture forms.
- Sift in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Beat briefly until a cookie dough starts to form – it may be crumbly at this stage.
- Sprinkle your bench with some extra flour and then knead the dough for a minute or two using your hands, just until it comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two cookie sheets or oven trays with baking paper or parchment paper.
- Generously flour your bench and roll out your dough using a rolling pin to approximately 1/8 inch thickness. Dust your rolling pin with flour as you go to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and gently place the cookies onto the prepared trays. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until golden on the edges. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, place the icing sugar in a small bowl and add water, one tablespoon at a time, and stir until it forms a smooth paste.
- Transfer icing to a small piping bag fitted with a small nozzle or use a plastic sandwich bag if you don’t have a piping bag. Decorate your gingerbread men with icing and add a few M&M’s on top. Leave each cookie for about 10 minutes for the icing to set.
Notes
Cooking time: If you prefer a crispy cookie that snaps, roll your cookies slightly thinner and bake for a minute or two longer. If you prefer a soft and chewy cookie, roll them slightly thicker and bake for a few minutes less.
Icing: Another easy way to ice these cookies is by using a little bit of melted white chocolate.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 228
Sugar: 24.5 g
Sodium: 124.3 mg
Fat: 6.8 g
Carbohydrates: 40.1 g
Protein: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 27.2 mg
Nutrition information is a guide only.
Category: DessertCuisine: American