Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
Sweet and spicy gingerbread cookies bring fun and flavor to your holiday baking. Make it a family event with group cookie decorating and then pass around a plate of gingery cookie treats. I give you ingredients for two Royal Icing recipes depending on the amount of decorating you want to do, and I include instructions to safely use raw egg whites. If you prefer quick and easy icing, use my alternative recipe instead.
Prep dough: 35 minutes Chill dough: 1 hour to 24 hours Roll & cut: 1 hour 15 minutes Bake: 8-10 minutes Bake at: 375° Makes: 22 large cookies
Pan: baking sheet Prep Royal Icing & decorate: 1 hour 45 minutes Difficulty: intermediate
Ingredients:
Cookie dough:
2 1/3 cups (261g) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (107g) dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 large egg
Parchment paper or cooking spray for baking sheet
#1 Royal Icing for piping:
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon (156g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
small pinch cream of tartar
Food color gel (optional)
#2 Royal Icing for piping and flooding:
2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (315g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons water
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Food color gel (optional)
#3 Easy alternative icing:
3/4 cup (84g) powdered sugar, sifted
4 teaspoons milk
Food color gel (optional)
Directions:
Bring cookie dough ingredients to room temperature.
To make cookie dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter in a large bowl at medium speed until whipped, about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and molasses with mixer running and then beat 1 minute more. Add egg and beat until yellow just disappears. Stir in flour mixture by hand in 3 parts until fully incorporated. Dough will be stiff to stir, but soft and sticky to handle. Gather dough into a ball. Divide into 4 pieces; flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
Position rack in upper third of oven. Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or prepare with cooking spray. Let first dough disk warm on counter until barely malleable, about 3-5 minutes. Roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper or on floured surface. If using the easier option of parchment paper, lightly flour the bottom sheet. Sprinkle a little flour across the top of the dough. Starting at the center of the disk, roll away from you, give the dough a quarter turn, and repeat. Continue in this fashion until dough reaches 1/4" thickness, adding a little flour as you go to prevent sticking. Dip large (4"-5") cutter in flour and then cut out shapes.
Transfershapes to cookie sheet, spacing 1" apart. If lining sheet with parchment paper, place cookies near edge to prevent paper from rolling over cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375° until just turning brown on the edges.
Gather dough scraps into a ball, flatten into a disk, and refrigerate. Repeat rolling and cutting process with the second dough disk, form dough scraps into a disk and refrigerate. Now take out the leftover dough from the first disk, roll and cut out. Repeat with the chilled leftover dough from the second disk. Take out the third disk and then the fourth as needed and repeat the process. Continue baking as each cookie sheet fills.
Cool cookies 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to a wire rack. Cookies must be completely cool before decorating.
To make Royal Icing: Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. In a heavy saucepan,top of a double boiler, or metal bowl placed over water in a saucepan, stir together the egg white(s), 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar per egg white, water, and cream of tartar. If you use an aluminum saucepan, eliminate the cream of tartar or the two will react and create an unattractive gray meringue. Cook over low heat or simmering water, beating constantly with an electric hand mixer on low speed, until the egg whites reach 160° F. You must test with a thermometer as there is no visual clue to doneness. Pour into a super clean medium or large bowl depending on recipe used. Add remaining powdered sugar in 2-3 parts and beat on high speed until the icing is glossy and holds thick, soft peaks, about 4-6 minutes. Icing will look like marshmallow creme.
If you prefer to use raw egg whites without cooking to 160° F first, do not add water to recipe.
Divide the icing among clean containers, one for each color or consistency (piping or flooding) to be used. Tint icing as desired with food color gel and fold in color with a rubber spatula. Cover bowls not in use with airtight plastic wrap to prevent drying. Pipe decorations as desired using a piping bag with small round tip (#3, 4 or 5). If planning to flood, use piping consistency icing around the perimeter of the area and let dry for 1-2 minutes. Do not thin icing for flooding until ready for use. For flooding consistency, add a drop or two of water at a time and stir; you shouldn't need more than a few drops unless preparing a large amount. Check for proper flooding consistency by letting a spoonful drizzle back into the bowl; it should flow and disappear, but not be runny. Using a slightly larger round tip, flood the cookie with icing from the outlined perimeter to the inside. Smooth or work out air bubbles with a toothpick. Let icing dry completely before storing.
To make easy alternative icing: Stir together sifted powdered sugar and milk in a medium bowl. Pipe or spread on cookies as desired. Let dry at least 30 minutes until firm to the touch.
Store for 4 days or freeze in tins between layers of wax paper for up to 3 weeks.
*Instructions to lightly cook egg white for Royal Icing are courtesy of South Dakota State University Extension Service.
Tips:
- To make thin, crisp cookies, roll to 1/8" thickness and bake about 7 minutes.
- This recipe requires multiple rounds of baking, so make sure cookie sheet is completely cool before transferring cut out cookie dough.
- Test royal icing for piping consistency by piping a small amount through your tip of choice. If it tends to curl back or is difficult to pipe out, the icing is too dry and needs a drop or two of water. Conversely, if the piped icing seems runny, add powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed to blend. Do not overbeat or the icing will stiffen and lose its gloss.