The Christmas classic: gingerbread. This recipe is straightforward and full of delicious spices. Not too sweet and loaded with molasses, ginger, and lemon, these cookies are delicious plain, frosted, or dipped in some warm coffee.
Gingerbread is so versatile. You can make it crunchy or soft, shaped or free form, decorated or plain. Go nuts with your favorite cookie cutters and decoration!
Adapted from Food.
Ingredients
Makes 24 5-inch cookies
3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 T ground ginger
1 3/4 ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
6 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c molasses
2 t vanilla
1 t lemon zest
Directions
Soften butter. I leave mine out for several hours before I start baking under a window. Softened butter is the key to a good cookie, so don't try to take a shortcut here!
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger (make sure not clumpy), cinnamon, and cloves.
In a separate bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and egg until well blended.
Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix until well blended.
Stir in half the dry mixture and beat together. Switch mixer attachment to corkscrew, add the remaining dry mixture, and beat together until well mixed and smooth.
Divide dough into thirds and wrap each in cling wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2-8 hours. Let rest in refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375˚F (400˚F in my oven). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll out one piece of chilled gingerbread until it is 1/4 of an inch thick (you can use wooden spoons to help you stay even). Use flour if it becomes sticky. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer to parchment paper. Leave at least 1 inch in between cookies. Leave the other pieces of dough in the fridge so they can stay cool until you are ready. Try to group cookies by size so they will bake evenly (I had three trays: big, medium, and small).
Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes (I used 9) until the edges are slightly crisp, the color has deepened, and they are poofy to touch.
Let cookies cool on a wire rack.
Cool cookies completely before decorating (optional).
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