Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:
-2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons ground ginger
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-¾ teaspoon ground cloves
-¼ teaspoon salt
-¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
-½ cup granulated sugar
-1 large egg
-¼ cup molasses
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until dough comes together.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown. Allow cookies to cool before serving. Enjoy!
A Brief History:
Gingerbread can be traced back to Ancient Greece and the Middle East, but the way we recognize it today comes from the 16th century in Germany. By the 19th century, symbols and festive shapes were being used to create decorative gingerbread houses and cookies. The Dutch adopted this practice in the 16th century and called the cookies speculaas. During the 17th century, gingerbread was popular throughout Europe and was often used as a medicine for different ailments.
Tips:
• Use molasses to replace part of the sugar in the recipe to give cookies more of a rich, molasses flavor.
• Add an extra teaspoon of ground ginger for a more intense gingerbread flavor.
• Decorate your cookies with a variety of icings and candies.
• Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before baking to make cut out cookies easier to work with.
Techniques:
• Use a rolling-pin with a light touch to roll out the dough until it is roughly a ¼ inch thick.
• Cut out the desired shapes with cookie cutters while the dough is still cold.
• Place the cookie cutouts onto a prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
• Allow the gingerbread cookies to cool completely before decorating or storing.