Full of warming spices, gingerbread is a sign of the season! And Astghik is here to show you how to make (what could very well be) the best gingerbread cookies, delicious and beautifully spiced with molasses and brown sugar.
A fantastic cut-out cookie for decorating fun with your family, she also includes two egg-free homemade royal icing options (excellent for frosting gingerbread houses!).
Recipe By: @athomewithastghik
Gingerbread Ingredients:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of softened (room temperature) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup molasses ( I used unsulfured molasses)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Cloves
How to Make Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350F
Add the dry ingredients to a bowl (flour, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves). Mix it with a fork (in a whisking motion) to help incorporate the ingredients. Set the bowl aside.
To a separate bowl, add the softened butter and the sugar. Use an electric mixer to mix the ingredients until they’re light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and mix to incorporate. Add the molasses and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
In 3 batches, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture (mixing in between each batch)
🌟 Note: Be sure to not over-mix so the batter doesn’t become tough.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces, form it into a disc, and wrap each dough in plastic wrap. Transfer the wrapped doughs to the refrigerator and allow them to chill for 1 hour.
Remove from the refrigerator and place on a floured work surface.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut it into desired shapes by using a cookie cutter that has also been floured to help prevent it from sticking.
Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the cookies aren’t touching one another and are about an inch apart.
🌟 Note: you may gather the remaining dough, form a disk, roll it out again and create more cookies.
Bake the cookies for about 7-8 minutes.
Let them cool for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
🌟 Note: Apply the icing once the cookies have fully cooled.
Egg-Free Royal Icing For Gingerbread Cookies + Tips!
Here are 2 options for making egg-free royal icing. The first ingredient contains an egg-replacer powder that is vegan and gluten-free. While the second ingredient is mainly just milk and confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar).
Here’s a quick and general note about royal icing. When decorating with royal icing, there are different consistencies that need to be obtained in order for the icing to work.
The two basic consistencies are the following:
1) a consistency to where you can easily write out words, outline a cookie, and trace or draw designs.
2) a consistency to where you can fill in or “color-in” the cookies.
The ingredients I’ve provided below will initially provide you with the first consistency I mentioned above which is the “tracing consistency “. It’s a little thicker than the second consistency. You may use this consistency to trace or draw out your designs.
Then later if you’re looking to fill-in or color-in your cookies, all you need to do is add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid (1/2 teaspoon of water if using the egg-replacer powder recipe or 1/2 teaspoon of milk if using the milk and powdered sugar recipe) to the icing and mix it with a spoon. The icing will be a little thinner and will be ready for filling in the cookies.
Egg-Free Royal Icing Using an Egg-replacer Powder:
I used Bobs Red Mill Egg Replacer which is egg-free, gluten-free, and vegan.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons egg replacer powder, I used Bobs Red Mill Egg Replacer
- 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon warm water
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
How to Make Royal Icing with Egg Replacer Powder
Prepare the egg replacer by following the directions listed on the package. Mine called to add the egg replacer powder to a bowl then add the water. Mix it with a fork to combine. Let it sit for about a minute to thicken up.
Then, measure 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar, place a sieve over the bowl with the egg replacer, and sift the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Measure out 1 more cup of the confectioner’s sugar and sift it as well. Add the vanilla extract.
🌟 Note: I used an electric mixer to help combine the ingredients. The mixture should be somewhat thick, but it should fall off the spoon in blobs.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and decorate the cookies.
No Egg Royal Icing Recipe, using milk:
The same applies to the second royal icing which consists of milk and confectioner’s sugar.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon milk
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method:
Measure 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar, place a sieve over a bowl and sift the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Measure out 1 more cup of the confectioner’s sugar and sift it as well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract.
Same as the previous method, I used an electric mixer to help combine the ingredients. The mixture should be somewhat thick, but it should fall off the spoon in blobs.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and decorate the cookies.
🌟 Note: For both icing options, the consistency is good for tracing cookies, writing letters/numbers, or drawing lines, designs and such. If you’re looking to fill in the cookies, you need to thin it out by adding 1/2 teaspoon of water to the mixture and mix it with a spoon.
Love making holiday treats? Try these Creative & Nutritious Almond Wreaths & Spinach Christmas Tree Cookies.
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