Description
Bake the ultimate soft and chewy cut-out gingerbread cookies. This recipe delivers deep molasses flavor and a tender texture perfect for holiday decorating and sharing. We focus on techniques to keep these cookies thick and wonderfully soft.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 3 cups
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
- Ground ginger: 2 teaspoons
- Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
- Ground cloves: 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Unsalted butter, softened: 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- Brown sugar, packed: 3/4 cup
- Granulated sugar: 1/4 cup
- Molasses (not blackstrap): 1/2 cup
- Egg, large: 1
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the molasses and egg until just combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut shapes using cookie cutters.
- Place cutouts on prepared sheets, leaving 1 inch between them.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. For soft cookies, err on the shorter side.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is crucial for preventing spread and achieving a thick cookie.
- Do not overbake; slightly underdone centers result in the softest cookies once cooled.
- If the dough becomes too warm while rolling, return it to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- For a deeper flavor, consider using blackstrap molasses sparingly, but regular molasses keeps the texture softer.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg