Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

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No holiday cookie tray is complete without a gingerbread man! These Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies are a great take on the holiday classic, with all the traditional spicy gingerbread flavor, minus the rock hard crunch.  

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Have you started your Christmas baking yet?

What is on your To-Bake list? I have a few new cookie recipes I would like to try this year, but I am definitely all about the classic Christmas cookies on my cookie platter. I like the cut-out sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, thumbprint cookies, chocolate crinkles, and of course gingerbread men.  But this recipe for gingerbread cut-out cookies is not your typical gingerbread man, these Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies are a pleasant departure from the standard rock hard ginger cookies we are all familiar with.

I am a huge fan of soft cookies so finding a recipe for soft gingerbread cookies has been something I have been wanting to do for awhile but somehow I just never got around to it, until now. I love these cookies, and if you are also a fan of gingerbread but have been turned off by the typical rock hard gingerbread cookie, I think you will too.

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Tips and hints for perfect Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies is my hands down my new favorite Gingerbread cookie recipe, and it is fairly easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind to help you get the best

  1. The dough does require some chilling and freezing to make the dough easier to handle, and for the cookies to keep their shape, but the time invested in these steps is well worth it.
  2. To control the thickness of any rolled-out cookie dough, use rubber rolling pin rings. They will help ensure even thickness of the final product.
  3. For soft and chewy cookies, be careful not to overbake the cookies
  4. You want to use slightly softened butter for the dough. The butter should be room temperature, and moldable, for best results.
  5. Turn the sheet pan around halfway through the baking process to ensure even baking of the final product.
  6.  All ovens run slightly different. Set the timer for about half the bake time recommended, especially with new recipes. This lets you fine-tune the baking time without fear of over-baking the cookies.
  7. For a crispier cookie, bake additional 2-4 minutes.
  8. You may need to make a special trip to Michaels or make an Amazon order to get your hands on meringue powder for the decorative icing. Meringue powder is made of cornstarch, dried egg whites, sugar, citric acid and some stabilizers. It’s perfect for making royal icing, especially for those of us who shouldn’t be eating raw eggs.

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

 

 

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

No holiday cookie tray is complete without a gingerbread man! These Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies are a great take on the holiday classic, with all the traditional spicy gingerbread flavor, minus the rock hard crunch.

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup 165g packed dark brown sugar
  • 10 Tbsp 142g butter, softened about halfway
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup 172g molasses (not blackstrap)

Icing:

  • 3 420g cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp 15g meringue powder
  • 4 - 6 Tbsp water
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together sugar and butter until well combined, occasionally stopping and scraping down the bowl. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and molasses. With the mixer set on low speed slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  3. Divide dough into two equal portions then roll each portion out evenly to 1/4-inch thickness (into more of an oblong or rectangular shape so it will fit on a cookie sheet) between two sheets of parchment paper. Chill on a cookie sheet in freezer 10 - 20 minutes, or until firm then cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Remove from paper using a thin metal spatula or pastry scraper if needed then transfer to a cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart, and bake in preheated oven 8 minutes or until slightly set (they should leave a slight indentation when touched). Be careful to not overbake the cookies. Repeat process with remaining cookies. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Once the cookies are cool pipe icing over cookies to decorate, add sprinkles if desired. Let decorated cookies set at room temperature until the icing has set, store in an airtight container.

For the icing:

  1. Add powdered sugar and meringue powder to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment, add 4 Tbsp water and the vanilla then mix on low speed until combined. Add more water to thin as needed and increase speed and whip mixture until it is glossy and thickens up. Tint with food coloring if desired. Transfer to piping bags fitted with tiny round tips.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 358Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 1gSugar: 64gProtein: 2g

Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates. Please see my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

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