Gingerbread Man Cookies

December 15, 2010 Laura

My aunt spends a day baking early in December and then freezes the 10 million cookies she makes. When it gets closer to the holidays, she defrosts everything, divides them up into nice boxes and doles them out to neighbors and friends as gifts. I wanted to do that this year. I also wanted to be done with my shopping by American Thanksgiving. At least I have goals.

The one thing I did get around to making and freezing were gingerbread man cookies. I knew Scarlett would find the project fun and I thought they would be a great snowy day activity. I’m not going to lie though. This is an undertaking. You have to chill the dough after making it and chill cut dough before baking, so I recommend planning this project in stages. Young kids won’t be able to tolerate the wait times. You may even want to make the dough without them, cook the cookies and just haul out the finished product to decorate.

I found my recipe in Fine Cooking‘s Cookies Brownies, Bars & More Special Edition Magazine.

Ingredients

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground.)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Icing:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder

Method

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle (or with a hand mixer), beat the brown sugar and butter on medium.

Beat in the molasses, egg and vanilla until completely combined.

Gradually add the flour until just combined.

Divide dough into two balls and wrap each in plastic. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out one ball at time on lightly floured parchment paper until 1/8 inch thick.

Cut cookies.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and place back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Excess dough can be re rolled out two more times.

Bake one sheet at a time on center rack for 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool on sheet for about 15 minutes and then move to a rack to continue cooling. Be gentle. The boys are fragile.

Sweet Potato Chronicles

Scarlett and I made the dough one morning, baked the cookies later that afternoon and decorated them another day.

She kept calling them her “little guys” and named them. We ate a few and have frozen the rest. We plan to whip them out at Christmas for grandma and grandpa to enjoy. Shhh. Don’t tell them.