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 powdered sugar icing recipe instead.
Prep: 35 minutes Chill: 1 hour to 24 hours Roll & cut: 1 hour 15 minutes Bake: 8 to10 minutes Bake at: 375°F Yield: 22 large cookies Pan: baking sheet Prep Royal Icing & decorate: 1 hour 45 minutes Difficulty: intermediate

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • 2 1/3 cups (261 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 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 (107 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • Parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray

Icing Recipe Choices

You can choose an icing recipe depending on the amount of work you want to do and the amount of icing you prefer on each cookie. Pick a recipe and have fun decorating!

Choice 1: Royal Icing for Piping Only

  • 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon (156 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • Small pinch cream of tartar
  • Food color gel (optional)

Choice 2: Royal Icing for Piping and Flooding

  • 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (315 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Food color gel (optional)

Choice 3: Easy Powdered Sugar Icing

  • 3/4 cup (84 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 4 teaspoons milk
  • Food color gel (optional)

Directions

Making the Cookie Dough

  • Bring the cookie dough ingredients to room temperature.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a large bowl at medium speed until whipped, about 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and molasses with the mixer running and beat 1 minute more. Add the egg and beat until the yolk just disappears.
  • Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture in 3 parts until fully incorporated. The dough will be stiff to stir, but soft and sticky to handle.
  • Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and 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.)

Cutting Out the Cookies

  • Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or prepare with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Let the first dough disk warm on the counter until just malleable, about 3-5 minutes. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper or on a 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 the dough reaches 1/4-inch thickness, adding a little flour as you go to prevent sticking.
  • Dip a large (4-5-inch) cutter in flour and then cut out shapes. Transfer the shapes to baking sheet, spacing the cookies 1-inch apart. If lining the baking sheet with parchment paper, place the cookies near the edge to prevent the paper from rolling over the cookie.

Baking the Cookies

  • Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes at 375°F until just turning brown on the edges.
  • Gather the dough scraps into a ball, flatten into a disk, and refrigerate.
  • Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second dough disk, form the dough scraps into a disk and refrigerate.
  • Take out the leftover dough from the first disk, roll and cut out. Repeat with the 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 baking sheet fills.
  • Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack. The cookies must be completely cool before decorating.

Making 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 the into a super clean medium or large bowl depending on recipe used. Add remaining powdered sugar in 2 to 3 parts and beat on high speed until the icing is glossy and holds thick, soft peaks, about 4 to 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.

Decorating Cookies with Royal Icing

  • Divide the icing among clean containers, one for each color or consistency (piping or flooding) to be used. Tint the icing as desired with food color gel and fold in the color with a rubber spatula. Cover the 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 to 2 minutes.
  • Do not thin the 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 the icing harden and dry completely before storing.

Making Easy Powdered Sugar Icing

  • Stir together sifted powdered sugar and milk in a medium bowl.
  • Pipe or spread the icing on cookies as desired. Let the icing dry for at least 30 minutes until firm to the touch.

Storing Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

  • Store the cookies for up to 4 days or freeze in tins between layers of wax paper for up to 3 weeks.

Tips

  • To make thin, crisp cookies, roll to 1/8-inch thickness and bake about 7 minutes.
  • This recipe requires multiple rounds of baking, so make sure baking 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.
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