Oh snap! Gingerbread Cookies

 

Gingerbread Cookies

•   1 cup (2 sticks) softened salted butter
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
•               1/2 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the butter and sugar to a stand mixer and beat for 4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, using paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Scrape down the sides as few times as needed.
2. Add the egg, molasses, vanilla and vinegar. Beat to combine well. The mixture will look a bit curdled. That is normal.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the bowl and mix to combine well. The dough should come together when you press it in your hands and shouldn’t be crumbly. It will be a tiny bit sticky and that is fine.
4. Divide the dough into four even pieces, wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour. Don’t skip this step, it helps the cookies to keep their shape and it’s easier to work the soft dough.
5. When the dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working in sections, roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Dip your cookie cutters in some flour and cut into shapes.
6. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Gather, re roll “scraps”, wrap them again and place back in fridge.
7. Take more wrapped cold dough to cut out into shapes until your pans are full. Again make sure to re roll “scraps”, rewrap them and place back in fridge.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 10minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack.
9. Repeat with remaining cold dough.
10. Let them cool completely before decorating with white chocolate or royal icing!