Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe

This past weekend I baked 77 Gingerbread Man cookies as an annual family tradition (not the “77” part, but the baking gingerbread men part).  It was a lot of work, but it’s only once a year, right?

I love the smell of fresh gingerbread and my kids enjoy helping me prepare and roll out the dough, cut out the gingerbread men and watch them bake.  Of course, the best part is the last step when we get to decorate them.

If you’re in the mood for some fresh gingerbread cookies this year, here is a recipe that has never let me down:

Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe

ground ginger- the most important ingredient

Ingredients

1. Flour- 6 cups
2. Baking Powder- 1 tspn
3. Ground Ginger- 2 tbspns
4. Ground Cinnamon- 2 tbspns
5. Ground cloves or allspice- 1 tspn
6. Salt- 1/2 tspn
7. Butter- 1 cup or 2 sticks, softened
8. Brown Sugar- 2 cups
9. Eggs- 2
10. Vanilla- 2 tspns
11. Dark Molasses- 1 cup
12. Water- 1 tbspn

Directions

1.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves or allspice and salt

dry ingredients

whisk together dry ingredients

2.  Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy

blend together sugar and wet ingredients

3.  Slowly add flour mixture and water

slowly add flour mixture and water

4.  Place gingerbread onto sheet of plastic wrap and hand-form into a ball

place gingerbread onto sheet of plastic wrap

hand form into a ball

5.   Let gingerbread stand at room temperature for 2-6 hours.  I like to make mine a day or two in advance.  So, dough can be refrigerated and then brought back to room temperature before rolling it out.

wrap in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2-6 hours; or it can be refrigerated and then brought back to room temperature

6.  Lightly dust surface with flour and roll dough with rolling pin that is also dusted lightly with flour

roll out dough onto flour-covered surface

7.  Use cookie cutter to make cut-outs

cut-outs

8.  Dip spatula into flour before scooping up cut-out and placing on an ungreased cookie sheet to bake

dip spatula in flour first before placing cut-outs onto ungreased cookie sheet

9.  Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes and transfer to rack to cool after baking

chilling out

Decorating Your Gingerbread Man

Use royal or buttercream icing to dress your gingerbread man.  My favorite Gingerbread Man candies are:

time to decorate!

1. Red Hots for the eyes
2. Spiced Gum Drops for the buttons
3. Coconut for the hair

Every year, I take my Gingerbread Man cookies to Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation annual holiday party to let the kids decorate because it’s such a tactual experience.

Kids decorate Gingerbread Man cookies at Nevada Blind Children's Foundation

“And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

“NO! Not the buttons! Not my gumdrop buttons!”– Gingerbread Man, Shrek