Best Gingerbread Cutouts

 

 

When people say they don't really like gingerbread cookies, it's usually because they haven't had really good gingerbread cookies. Many recipes give you tough, hard cookies that are not very sweet or, in some cases, overly sugary. This recipe gives you a softer cookie that has a delicious balance of sugar and spice. Roll them on the thick side.

3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Cup light molasses
1/2 Cup melted butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 lightly beaten egg

Mix together dry ingredients in your mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the molasses, sugar, and melted butter, then add to the dry mixture. Add the beaten egg last, and beat just until well-combined. Chill the dough at least one hour before rolling. Roll the cookies thick, then bake in a 350 oven for approximately 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of your shapes.


Simple Milk Icing: 1 Cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon milk, stir well. Add more milk just a few drops at a time until you get the consistency you want. You don't want it too runny, it should be thick and when you run a knife through it, it should take 7-10 seconds for the icing to come together again, making the knife mark disappear. You can always add more powdered sugar if you thin it too much. Use a pastry bag to pipe on designs, or frost with a knife for simpler shapes.

Let the cookies dry overnight before packaging or stacking them. This icing takes longer to dry than royal icing, but it is tastier.