Gingerbread Cookies Recipe - Christmas Recipes

The Christmas holiday season just doesn't seem complete without gingerbread. The smell of gingerbread baking permeates the house and just whispers 'Merry Christmas'. One of the favorite holiday traditions is baking gingerbread cookies.

Learning how to make gingerbread man cookies is great fun for kids. Here is the best gingerbread man cookie recipe that I have found. One of the reasons it's the best is because it is also an easy gingerbread cookie recipe. It uses common ingredients, but it also doesn't sacrifice taste. Plus, no shortening! It turns out tasty little gingerbread men every time! They are the perfect texture- firm, but still chewy and soft.

Ingredients for Gingerbread Men - Makes about 3 dozen gingerbread cookies

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ginger spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon spice
• 1/2 teaspoon each: cloves spice, nutmeg spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• confectioner's sugar, optional

Mix the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Put the molasses, butter, sugar, and vinegar in a pan. Heat the mixture until it comes to a boil. Stir constantly. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and stir.

Let the molasses mixture cool until it's barely warm. After beating the egg in a separate bowl, add it to the pan by stirring it in. Then add the flour mixture. Stir everything together well. It should form a nice, soft dough.

Divde dough into 3 balls. Flatten each ball by placing between sheets of waxed paper. Then roll with a rolling pin or glass. Cover completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Overnight is best.

Roll the gingerbread cookie dough onto a surface that has been lightly dusted with confectioner's sugar. (You can substitute plain flour if you have no confectioner's sugar.) Make the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Use 3 inch gingerbread man cookie cutters or other desired shapes that have been dusted with flour to cut out the cookie dough shapes.

Put the gingerbread man cookies on a greased baking sheet, not allowing them to touch. Bake for approximately 8 minutes in a preheated 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven, or til the gingerbread men become golden and firm around the edges. The cookies should spring back when touched. Ovens vary. Watch carefully so as not to burn them! Cook a little less time if you like your gingerbread man cookies softer.

Let cool on wire racks.

You can decorate these gingerbread cookies or leave them plain. Kids love to decorate gingerbread men, though. There are lots of fun ways to decorate them- with sprinkles, candied sugar, icing, raisins, you name it.

Be sure that you don't get in a hurry and add the egg too soon. The molasses mixture should be almost at room temperature, but a little warm. If you add the egg before then, it will curdle.

Make sure you don't use blackstrap molasses! I did this once, not paying attention to the jar of molasses that I used. Since blackstrap molasses is a bit difficult to find in stores now, it's less likely to happen. But still, be careful to check the molasses label.

Again, watch them closely so they don't burn.

These gingerbread man cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for a few days. These keep well in the freezer, too. Great make ahead holiday cookies recipe!