They are the perfect cookies for all winter long! They're spicy and comforting...you know, I would eat them in a box and I would eat them with a fox. I would eat them in a house and I would eat them with a mouse. I would eat them here and..sorry...
Who's with me? Let me share my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe with you:
Gingerbread Cookies
(modified from Southern Living Incredible Cookies)
1/4 c water
1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c molasses
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
5 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 & 1/2 TBSP ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Line baking sheets with parchment.
Stir together the water and baking soda until dissolved. Stir in the molasses; set aside.
Beat butter & sugar until fluffy and combined.
Whisk together flour, salt and spices.
Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the molasses mixture. Begin and end with the flour. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a floured cookie cutter and place on baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
{They are going to spread.}
Bake 12 minutes (for a large shape). Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing.
To decorate:
- Using a #2 tip, outline the shape of the snowflake in white royal icing.
- Thin the icing with water, stirring until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.
- Stir gently to pop any bubbles that may have formed and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
- Fill in the outline using a toothpick to guide into corners.
- Let dry at least one hour.
- Again with a #2 tip, pipe a snowflake pattern on each cookie.
- Let dry overnight.
- Mix a little meringue powder with water. (see sanding station here)
- With a small paintbrush, paint the mixture on only the snowflake design.
- Pour on sanding or sparkling sugar and shake of excess.
I also made some mini gingerbread hearts...very dangerous, these little bite-size ones!
I'm so looking forward to seeing YOUR cookies!!! Click below to link up. The linky will be closed on January 3rd to prevent spammers.
OH...and there is a new feature here....to add this post (or any) to twitter, stumble upon, facebook, etc, just click on the button at the end of each post. :)
Flavor-of-the-Month January Edition....BOOZY! :) Maybe you make a mean pina colada cake, or Kahlua tart, or a gingerbread martini (!)...link it up the last day of January! EVERYONE is welcome!!!
