Frosted Gingerbread Cookies

Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 12/22/2020 to Family

gingerbread cookie dough rolled out with cookie cutter shapes in dough

One of the best parts of a holiday are the foods typically associated with it. And during the winter holidays, gingerbread is a popular, seasonal flavor for everything from hot drinks to sweet treats. These gingerbread cookies will add a festive flair and the scent of fresh baked, homemade cookies to any household.

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 egg

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the brown sugar, molasses, ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon ,and salt. Stir until everything is well combined, then remove from heat.
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the egg. Beat the mixture to combine.
In a second bowl, whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, and flour.
Add the flour mix to the larger bowl and stir the two mixes together.
Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a thick rectangle and wrap tightly with saran wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats and set aside.
Create a floured surface and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using one dough rectangle at a time, roll the dough out to 1/4 thickness and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Place cut out cookies one inch apart on the baking sheet.
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies have browned. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
When the cookies have completely cooled, decorate them by either dusting them with powdered sugar or frosting them. To create the frosting, mix all frosting ingredients together. If you want the frosting to be more liquid-y, add a tiny bit more milk at a time until it has reached your desired consistency.
Store cookies at room temperature or in the freezer until ready to eat.