Gingerbread Cookie Recipes

Gingerbread cookie recipes are terrific for gifts as well as for your own gingerbread decorating purposes. Some recipes, of course, are better for molding gingerbread houses and gingerbread men out of, while some make better individual, undecorated gift cookies.

In general, a gingerbread cookie that’s softer is NOT as great for cutting into shapes, especially large house parts. The ideal gingerbread house cookie is hard without being brittle and, especially, without tasting like cardboard. The ideal gingerbread cookie for eating, in my opinion, is a much softer cookie recipe. Of course, they’re ALL delicious!

Here’s a good basic gingerbread cookie recipe (great for cutting into shapes AND for eating):

Basic Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add the ginger, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda, and Stir.
2. Add the melted margarine, molasses, evaporated milk, vanilla, and lemon extracts, stirring to mix.  
3. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring to mix well after each cup is added.  
4. Chill the dough for a few hours (even overnight) to make it easier to work with (optional.)  If the dough sticks to your fingers, add up to ½ cup flour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
7. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.

8. Lightly flour a flat surface. Roll a portion of the dough to ¼” thickness
9. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.
10. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
11. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (or until top springs back when touched) at 375 degrees.
12. Cool cookies on wire racks before decorating.

Here is another favorite “standard” gingerbread cookie recipe:

Standard Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

• ½ c butter or margarine, softened
• ½ c white sugar
• ½ c molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 c flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together softened butter or margarine and sugar.
2. Add molasses and egg, and stir until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices.
4. Slowly pour into the creamed mixture and mix until smooth.
5. Chill the dough for at least one hour in refrigerator.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
8. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.

9. Cut into cookies and place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
11. Cool cookies on wire racks.
12. Decorate as desired.

Here’s a softer variation of gingerbread cookies - not necessarily the best for cutting into shapes (although it can definitely be done):

Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/8 cup butter, softened
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the molasses, brown sugar, water and softened butter until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, allspice, ginger, cloves and cinnamon.
3. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until all is absorbed.
4. Chill dough in covered container for at least 3 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.
7. Cut out into desired shapes or even just squares (Note: these cookies are a bit softer than the other recipes and so smaller details may break off more easily.)
8. Place cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
10. Cool on wire racks.

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