What is Christmas without a little Gingerbread Cookie in your life? soak in the delicious smells your house will take on while you make these traditional Nomnoms! #GingerbreadCookies #Vegetarian #SoNomNom4u
1/4 cup dark molasses
3 tablespoons raw honey or real maple syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 sticks of butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP orange zest
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat molasses, honey, brown sugar and butter over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Increase heat to boil and when it begins to boil add 1 tsp. baking soda stir vigorously and remove from heat. Set aside.
In a stand alone mixer or bowl with beater, mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, cloves, baking soda and salt. Add the sugar mixure 1 cup at a time and add the beaten egg. Mix egg in until it is just worked in.
Switch the attachment to a dough hook and knead the dough for 3 minutes. Don't over-knead or your cookies will poof and get deformed.
Its ok dough is sticky but its not ok to add flour.
Take the sticky dough out of the bowl and place it on plastic wrap. Let cook for about 10 minutes if it is too hot. Form into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate the ball of dough for a minimum of 1 hor and a maximum of 2 days.
Preheat oven to 325°F
Make sure rack is in the center position of the oven.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
When you are ready to make the cookies, remove dough from the fridge and let sit out 30 minutes. Then, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surafe until it is about 1/4" thick. Cut with cutters and gently transfer your cut cookies to the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. pick up all scraps, re-roll it and cut more cookies until all the cookies are cut.
Bake for times specified below per size:
If the cutter is small, bake cookies about 10 minutes. If the cutter is large bake them about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool a couple of minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack.
Cool completely and decorate to your preference. You can decorate them with this icing recipe:
Royal Icing:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 TBSP Wilton Merengue Powder
9 TBSP Water
Food coloring
Royal Icing Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, merengue powder and water in a bowl until smooth and well blended. Choose how many colors you will be using and get that many zipper bags. Split the icing evenly into each zipper bag and add your food colors to each bag. Close bag and massage until well blended. Cut the tiny tip off each bag and pipe the colors onto the cookies in any designs you wish.
