"A BEAUTIFULLY TENDER AND CHEWY COOKIE THAT HAS A MILD BUT FLAVORFUL SPICE MIX... texturally, it’s a dream to roll out and bakes up into a neat cookie with a soft texture and good chew." From the review of my gingerbread cookie recipe, featured in a Gingerbread Cookie Bake-Off by the well-known Pancake Princess.
Jack has his first college finals this week...all while the campus is
covered in a blanket of snow. I'm picturing the students bundled up in
scarves and drinking hot cocoa while they study, happily gazing out the
windows at the magic now and then. What do I know, though? I'm not the one
taking chemistry and calculus 2. I'm at home making cookies. It's possible I
may be romanticizing things. (Ya think?)
I put together a little care package for Jack for finals week...a box of some of our favorite Trader Joe's cookies, a bag of Jack's beloved cheddar Goldfish, a "prayer bouquet" of specific prayers I'd offer for him on each test day, AND a bunch of Notre Dame gingerbread cookies.
This recipe comes from my book, Decorating Cookies. It's a winner and one of our favorite cookies of all time. The cookies are thick, soft, chewy, and spicy. They bend instead of crumble.
I like them best sparsely decorated so all of the gingerbread flavor shines through.
For the Notre Dame cookies, I used this cookie cutter. I like it because it has the imprint which makes decorating a breeze. (You can see it used on a traditional decorated cookie here.) It is a bit of a shallow cutter, so while I rolled the rest of the dough to 3/8" thick, the ND logo cookies were rolled to 1/4".
For the decorating, I used my tried and true royal icing recipe tinted white. The white food coloring isn't totally essential, but it does ensure that the icing stays bright white.
5 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger (yes, tablespoons)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Set aside.
In another large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars for several minutes until combined and fluffy. Beat in the molasses and the egg, Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl and beat until combined.
In three additions, add the flour mixture on low speed. Mix until combined, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
Roll on a floured surface using a floured rolling pin. I like to roll them to 1/4 or 3/8" inch. Dip cookie cutters in flour before cutting.
Place the shapes on the prepared sheets and freeze for 5-10 minutes before baking.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until cookies appear done. Let sit on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate with royal icing.
I put together a little care package for Jack for finals week...a box of some of our favorite Trader Joe's cookies, a bag of Jack's beloved cheddar Goldfish, a "prayer bouquet" of specific prayers I'd offer for him on each test day, AND a bunch of Notre Dame gingerbread cookies.
This recipe comes from my book, Decorating Cookies. It's a winner and one of our favorite cookies of all time. The cookies are thick, soft, chewy, and spicy. They bend instead of crumble.
I like them best sparsely decorated so all of the gingerbread flavor shines through.
For the Notre Dame cookies, I used this cookie cutter. I like it because it has the imprint which makes decorating a breeze. (You can see it used on a traditional decorated cookie here.) It is a bit of a shallow cutter, so while I rolled the rest of the dough to 3/8" thick, the ND logo cookies were rolled to 1/4".
For the decorating, I used my tried and true royal icing recipe tinted white. The white food coloring isn't totally essential, but it does ensure that the icing stays bright white.
If you're looking for a cut-out SUGAR cookie for decorating, you can't
beat my
Perfect Every Time Cut-Out Cookies!
Favorite Gingerbread Cookies
{from
Decorating Cookies, makes 15-36 depending on the size of the cookies}5 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger (yes, tablespoons)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Set aside.
In another large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars for several minutes until combined and fluffy. Beat in the molasses and the egg, Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl and beat until combined.
In three additions, add the flour mixture on low speed. Mix until combined, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
Roll on a floured surface using a floured rolling pin. I like to roll them to 1/4 or 3/8" inch. Dip cookie cutters in flour before cutting.
Place the shapes on the prepared sheets and freeze for 5-10 minutes before baking.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until cookies appear done. Let sit on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate with royal icing.
Make them! Make them! I think they'll be your favorite gingerbread
cookies, too!
