Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

posted Dec 13, 2013, 6:10 PM by Andrew Chadick   [ updated Dec 13, 2013, 6:13 PM ]
Ingredients:
3 Cups of All Purpose All Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon of All Spice
1 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh and Finely Ground Black Pepper
1 (8 tablespoons) stick of Salted Butter (Room Temperature, Soft, not melted)
1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening (Room Temperature)
1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
2/3 Cup unsulfered Molasses
1 Large Egg

In a large bowl place the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt, pepper, and combine.

In a second bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and vegetable shortening together until a smooth result.  Add the brown sugar, and mix again until smooth.  The mix should be light in both texture and colour. Next beat in the molasses and large egg until smooth. 

Next take the first bowl and slowly add to the second bowl mixing in the flour to the butter/shortening blending with a flat smooth bamboo spatula/spoon.  Mix in flour until all ingredients are combined and you have a stiff dough ball. 

Take the dough out and split in half, and roll the dough halves in to balls.  Wrap dough balls individually in plastic wrap or wax paper, place back in large bowl and cover with a damp cloth. 
Put the bowl in the fridge and let rest for at least 6 six hours and for best results 24 hours.
--- - ---
Wait
--- - ---
Cutting board, dust with all purpose flour and roll out the first dough ball.  Your roll out should be right at 1/4" thickness.  Use cookie cutter and place cookie shapes on a cookie sheet.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.   Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 10 minutes exactly.  Cookies will be soft to the touch when taken from the oven.  Let the pan sit on the stove for 3 minutes.
Remove cookies from cookie sheet with spatula and place on cooling racks.  Wait 20 minutes before frosting.
--- - ---
Royal Icing for the Cookies:
2 Large Eggs (Whites Only)
3 Cups of Confectioners Sugar (powdered sugar)
2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed)
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with an electric mixer.  Use low setting at first so that powdered sugar doesn't fly out of the bowl. 

Test thickness of sugar mixture.  If too stiff to squeeze through pastry bag/fine tip, add 1/4 teaspoon purified or filtered water, mixing again with electric mixer.  This icing should not be runny!
make sure that it is relatively stiff!  The sugar will setup quickly, so add the sugar to your bag, and start piping on to the cookies.  Be creative and have fun.

Once sugar has set, cookies can be stacked, and combined with other cookies to give out as holiday treats. 

Enjoy!
 
Comments