Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

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What will you bake for the holidays? The same stuff as last year? That won’t fly, especially if you’ve got a classroom of kids to impress for the holiday party or the bake sale. 

That’s why you should make Christmas gingerbread cookies. Oh, but wait. Before you protest that you have no idea how to do such a thing, let us assure you, you’ve got this. 

It’s just dough! You’ve made the stuff for play with your kids before. This is just as easy. And it only takes 45 minutes total to whip up 30 cool Christmas gingerbread cookies!

You cut it out into shapes, bake it, then frost it. Skip buying these at the store where they’re hard enough to chip your teeth. These Christmas gingerbread cookies retain a nice softness and piped up with royal icing, they will elicit those coveted oohs and ahs from everyone!

If you’re wanting to make a gingerbread house, check out this Gingerbread house recipe (with free printable templates).

What You Will Need for Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

• Egg
• All-purpose flour
• Ginger powder
• Cinnamon powder
• Butter – Make sure it’s at room temperature before you begin!
• Brown sugar 
• Molasses
• Vanilla extract
• Royal icing – You’ll make this with powdered sugar, meringue powder (or egg whites), water, and food coloring in whatever colors you want to decorate with. 

Make Your Own Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

It’s really easy to make your own Christmas gingerbread cookies. You’ll want to mix the flour, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, you’ll use your mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar together. You should only do so for one minute. Time it because if you beat it too much, it will ruin the texture.

Now, you’ll add the egg and whisk, then the molasses and vanilla. And finally, you’ll pour in the dry mixture. Once it forms a dough, you’ll put it down on your well-floured surface. If your dough feels sticky, add a little flour on top to even things out. Then you can hit it with your roller.

After you roll it out, use your cookie cutters to make your shapes and then add them to your parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Pop them in the fridge for about 10 minutes, then you can bake them for 10 minutes. 

After baking, the cookies should rest for 5 minutes and then be moved to cool completely. Meanwhile, you can make your icing by putting the powdered sugar with the meringue powder. Whisk this together, adding water a little at a time to get the right consistency. You can then add the food coloring to make different colors and frost them as you like.

One word of caution…if you’re using egg whites instead of the merengue powder, do not add water. Also, if you are using egg whites, make sure they are pasteurized. There is always a risk you can get food-borne illnesses from royal icing made with regular eggs. The best way to avoid it is by using meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites.

The full recipe below will walk you through every step in greater detail so you’ll be able to whip up the best Christmas gingerbread cookies this year!

Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

• Serving: 30 cookies
• Prep time: 35 minutes
• Cooking time: 10 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1/3 cup butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup Brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1tbsp vanilla extract 

For Icing Sugar

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp meringue powder / 3 egg whites (if you don’t have meringue powder you can use 3 egg whites)
• 5 tbsp water 
• Food colorings

Directions

1. Start heating the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, and spices.

4. In a large bowl beat the butter and brown sugar for 1 minute. (Don’t beat too much, we do not want it to rise)

5. Add the egg and continue to whisk.

6. Add the molasses and vanilla.

7. Finally, add the dry mixture.

8. Flour the counter and roll the dough out. (If the dough is sticky, add a little flour to top it up)

9. Make shapes with your gingerbread cookie cutters and place them side by side on parchment paper.

9. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

For the icing:

1. Put the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a mixer or a bowl and start to whisk.

2. Add the water little by little for the desired consistency. 

3. Add food colorings to the royal icing and decorate as you wish your cookies.

ENJOY!

Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

Print

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1/3 cup butter (room tempature)
• 3/4 cup Brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1tbsp vanilla extract

For Icing Sugar

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp merengue powder / 3 egg whites (if you don’t have merengue powder you can use 3 egg whites)
• 5 tbsp water
• Food colorings

Instructions

1. Start heating the oven to 170 degrees. (338 F)
2. Put the parchment papers on the baking trays.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, and spices.
4. In a large bowl beat the butter and brown sugar for 1 minute. (Don't beat too much, we do not want it to rise)
5. Add the egg and continue to whisk.
6. Add the molasses and vanilla.
7. Finally, add the dry mixture. As soon as it becomes a dough, put it on the floured counter. (If the dough is sticky, add a little flour to top it up)
8. Open it with a roller and make shapes with your gingerbread molds and place them side by side on parchment paper. (You can stretch the excess dough and put it in the freezer)
9. Leave it in the fridge for 10 minutes and put it in the oven. Bake them for 10 minutes. 
10. After, take out the cookies from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.

For The Royal Icing

1. Put the powdered sugar and meringue powder to a mixer or a bowl and start to whisk.
2. Add the water little by little for the desired consistency. 
3. Add food colorings to the royal icing and decorate as you wish your cookies.
4. ENJOY!

Notes

!!!! If you are going to use egg whites, do not put water!!!!

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