Making gingerbread cookies is a cherished holiday tradition in many families. It’s also a fun activity to occupy and entertain your kids while they’re at home over the holiday break and outside of their usual child care routine. Baking gingerbread cookies together as a family results in a tasty treat to enjoy and also allows kids to get creative and have fun in the kitchen.
Whether gingerbread cookies are already part of your holiday traditions or new to your family this year, this easy recipe will be a hit with everyone.
Classic Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- ½ granulated sugar
- One large egg yolk (or an egg substitute if there are allergies in your family)
- ½ cup molasses (avoid blackstrap; its flavor is overpowering)
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon baking powder
- A blend of seasonal spices: ½ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. You can easily adjust these amounts if you prefer certain flavors.
Baking and Decorating
Start with all your dry ingredients, except the sugar, and whisk them together. In a separate bowl, combine the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Then, add the egg yolk and molasses. Gradually add the dry ingredients until you have a well-blended dough.
To preserve the shape of the cookies, you need to chill the dough before baking. Divide your dough in half and shape them into disks an inch thick. Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll it out when it’s cold. Wrap your dough disks in plastic wrap or wax paper and put them in the fridge for 1 to 3 hours or overnight.
Once the dough is chilled, you’re ready to bake! Preheat the oven to 350º F and get the dough out of the fridge. Flour your work surface and roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Let your kids pick their favorite cookie cutters to shape the cookies. You can go with traditional holiday shapes or something completely different. Simple shapes like circles, squares, or stars allow for more creativity while decorating.
Arrange your cut-out dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are firm. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Now you’re ready to decorate! Use colored icing, sprinkles, or your favorite decorating supplies. There are no wrong choices; the point is to be creative and have fun!
