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–+ servings
Tara Noland

Gingerbread Men Cookies

5 from 2 votes
Gingerbread men cookies are classic holiday cookies shaped like little people, made with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. They’re fun to decorate with icing, candies, or chocolate.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 26 minutes
Servings: 22 Cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 157
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 stick butter softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • ½ cup fancy molasses
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
Royal Icing
Yields approx: 1 cup
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 ½-2 cups powdered sugar adjust for desired thickness
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract optional

Equipment

Method
 

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, including flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In a separate large bowl, add butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, molasses, vanilla and Greek yogurt. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat until smooth. Don’t worry if there’s some separation; that’s completely normal.
  3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Dough will be slightly firm and quite sticky.
  4. Divide the dough into two equal-sized discs. Wrap each part tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or, if you prefer, overnight.
  5. When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and allow to sit for 5 minutes before rolling.
Instructions for Rolling the Dough and Cutting Cookies
  1. Before you begin, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Sprinkle a clean, flat surface generously with flour. You can also slightly flour the dough, rolling pin, and cookie cutters.
  3. Roll the dough into a circle that’s approximately 1/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter and cut out as many cookies as you can. Separate scraps of dough from gingerbread men and set aside for the next batch. Use a spatula to place cookies on your prepared cookie sheets, making sure they’re at least 2 inches apart. DO NOT OVERCROWD THEM. Repeat the process until all the dough is used.
  4. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, depending on your oven. They may come out of the oven looking a little undercooked. This is ok. They will firm up during the cooling process. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then, using a spatula, gently remove them from the baking sheet and place them back on the cooling rack to cool completely.
  5. Once at room temperature, decorate with your favorite icing recipe, sprinkles, candies, and more.
Royal Icing
  1. Combine egg white + cream of tartar in a clean, grease-free bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until foamy, 1-2 minutes.
  2. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.
  3. Once all the sugar is in, beat on medium-high until the icing is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks, about 4–6 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a frosting bag (you don’t need a tip). When ready to use, cut a very small piece off the tip of the bag, like the size of the tip of a pencil as you want to be able to “write” with it.

Nutrition

Serving: -2gCalories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

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