Gingerbread Cookies & Cutters
As a child, I was never very fond of gingerbread and when I started making Christmas cookies all those years ago, I didn’t give a thought to making gingerbread men — or women for that matter. Everything changed when I found out that my great nephew loved gingerbread! Who knew? So I set about finding the best recipe I could. Not having much experience with how they should taste, I just decided to experiment until I found one that I liked. And what do you know...I ended up liking gingerbread! Decorating gingerbread boys, girls, trees, snowflakes, and a myriad of other shapes is now part of my Christmas tradition. Thanks, Josh, for expanding my horizons.
Josh likes gingerbread so much that he requested gingerbread cookies for his birthday one year. So the “big-letter” gingerbread cookies were for him. And I made “Gingerbread Birthday Cookies” for him another year. So many possibilities!
“Eat me if you can!” Variation on the Gingerbread Man’s famous catchphrase
One Christmas, a friend of mine asked me if I had a good recipe for gingerbread cookies. She wanted one that wasn’t too sweet and that her two-year-old son would like. The recipe that I’d perfected for Josh came to mind. I gave her one of my gingerbread people wrapped in a clear bag and attached the recipe so she could make more if she wanted. (The cookie was “approved” by her two-year-old, by the way.)
- “These gingerbread people are so cute and whimsical.”
- “I love how soft these cookies are. Sometimes gingerbread cookies are like rocks! Not yours.”
- “Really pretty...and delicious, too!”
Cookie specifics
Gingerbread. My go-to gingerbread cookie is firm on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. It has a robust molasses flavor and plenty of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. This cookie won me over to the gingerbread fan club. I like to keep the embellishments in white because they are simple and stand out so well on the dark cookie.
Shapes
gingerbread boy, gingerbread girl, Christmas tree, snowflake; not shown but also made: hearts, reindeer, and many other Christmas shapes
Sizes
These are 2-inch cookies ... my favorite size for decorating and eating!
My Family Recipe
Gingerbread. My Soft Gingerbread Cookie recipe is based on a combination of several recipes from family and friends. My goal was to make a cookie full of spices, with slightly crisp edges and soft everywhere else. This recipe is all that!
My Gingerbread Recipe
Cookies
Gingerbread: flour, butter, dark brown sugar, molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder, egg, pure vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt
Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioner’s sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, almond extract, cream of tartar
Plate, Box or Bag?
Bags. I wrapped the cookies individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This made the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations.
I like these 4x6" treat bags from amazon.com.
Mailing. I mail these cookies to my family and friends throughout the U.S. Gingerbread has a strong flavor and smell, which can make everything it shares space with taste like gingerbread, too! So I usually ship them on their own and send other cookies in a different package. I always mail them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap! In almost all cases, the cookies arrive undamaged. (Yes, Eric, I remember the box I sent you several years ago that looked like it had been run over by an 18-wheeler, but that was the exception!) I know the packages are appreciated when they arrive because of the texts I get with all those smiling faces.
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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