Gingerbread Cookie Recipe and Tips

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by Renae Chiovaro on December 11, 2011

gingerbread cookies

It’s that time of year for gingerbread cookies!

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Ingredients
½ cup margarine or butter
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Decor Ingredients
4 ounces (2/3 cup) chopped vanilla flavored confectioners’ coating
1 tablespoon shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon shortening
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (See Recipe Below)

In a large bowl beat margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or till softened. Add about half of the flour. Then add sugar, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat or stir in the remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 3 hours or till easy to handle.

gingerbread cut outs

Grease a cookie sheet, then set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough to ½ inch thickness. Using 3 to 4 inch gingerbread shaped cookie cutters cut dough into shapes. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes or till edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack.

In a small heavy sauce pan heat and stir vanilla coating and 1 tablespoon shortening over low heat till melted. In another saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and 1 tablespoon shortening over low heat till melted. Dip hands, feet, and tops of heads of cookies in either vanilla or chocolate mixture. Place on wire rack till set. If desired, dip cookies again in contrasting mixture; place on wire rack till set. Decorate with Powdered Sugar Icing. Makes about 36.

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Milk or orange juice

In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla or orange juice, 1 teaspoon at a time till icing is smooth and of drizzling consistency.

betty crocker gingerbread mix

Now here comes the tip, the Betty Crocker gingerbread cookie pouch mix is actually really good and easy to work with! If you don’t have time to make homemade gingerbread cookies, pick up a pouch. Shhh, you don’t have to tell anyone!

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Renae Chiovaro

Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.

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