Gingerbread Fun

Per my Lover's request I made Gingerbread People today. We had a blast decorating and as you can see we definitely have a future in professional cookie decorating. :)

Joe loves the cookies and I think they are pretty good. But that might be that I prefer a good sugar cookie to a gingerbread cookie any day. Also, not much of a fan for the taste of royal icing. However, it was super fun to decorate with and  it is pretty rad how it sets up hard.

Joe won the best decorator award with Gingerbread Baby. A tribute to Baby Bean Dailey who is expected to arrive in early June. They are having a girl!!!! CONGRATS to the K-Dailey's!!!!!

I used Martha Stewart's recipe. I heart Martha...don't judge. I love her Cookies Cookbook, as well as her Cookie of the Day e-mails that arrive in my inbox every morning. I highly recommend signing up for this service.

Gingerbread People

Ingredients 

FOR COOKIES

3 cups flour (plus a little more for rolling)

2 teaspoons ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup unsulfured molasses 

FOR ROYAL ICING

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup water

4 tablespoons meringue powder

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder and salt, set aside. Using an electric mixer beat together brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, beat in egg and molasses. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic or a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Can freeze dough for up to 3 months.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Caution, this dough can get super sticky fast! I found it easiest to roll out parchment paper on my counter and sprinkle four on to the parchment paper and also on my rolling pin. Roll out the dough and cut away! Try to get an even 1/8 inch thick cookie, they bake up a lot better.

For softer cookies bake 8 to 10 minutes; for crunchier cookies bake 11 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets half way. We tried both times and preferred the 8 minute cookie. Cool on wire racks before decorating.

For the icing, whisk together powdered sugar, meringue powder and 1/4 cup water. Transfer icing to a pastry bag or place in a resealable plastic bag and snip a small hole in the corner. Have fun decorating! We found the red hots to be essential. :)

Happy Holidays! 

Megan