Source:
Genius Kitchen’s Spicy Gingerbread Cookies
Notes:
- Use metal cookie sheets, not a baking stone. You’re going straight from the fridge to a nice hot oven. The stone will not survive the transfer.
- Use plenty of flour on your cutting surface.
- Cut the dough into pieces of about a third of the dough each, and only pull one of them out of the fridge at a time to roll out and cut.
- You are going to use so much plastic wrap with this recipe.
- Its totally worth it.
- To get the different colors of frosting, I usually get the biggest thing of vanilla frosting I can, and food color bits of it in sandwich bags. Cut off the tip of one corner and hey-presto decorating bags!
Ingredients:
- 6 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 c softened butter
- 1 c brown sugar, packed
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 lg eggs
- 1 c unsulphated molasses
Directions:
- Sift together the first three ingredients in a side bowl (not the one you plan on mixing everything in, you will regret that if you try)
- In a mixer with a big bowl, cream butter and sugar
- Add spices & salt, then eggs, then molasses
- Slowly add flour mixture (not kidding about the speed – try to do it fast, and the whole thing explodes into a powdery mess)
- Combine everything at low speed
- Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Put down parchment paper and flour it really well
- Roll to 1/8 inch thickness (WHO ACTUALLY DOES THAT? I usually do 1/4)
- Cut with cookie cutters, and place them on the cookie sheet
- Chill the sheet with the cookies on it for 15 min
- Go straight from the fridge to the oven
- Cook for 8-10 min
Cool completely before decorating.