Best Ever Ginger Cookies Recipes

BIG SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

BEST EVER GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES (BETTER THAN STARBUCKS!)

Steps:

• Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium high speed until it is soft and creamy and the colour begins to turn pale (use a hand mixer if you wish).
• Add the sugar and beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times.
• Beat in the eggs on medium high speed one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
• Beat in the molasses and scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk these ingredients together to they're combined and dump the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer with the butter mixture.
• Combine the butter mixture and the dry ingredients on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. You'll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour.
• After one hour has passed, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and shape it into about 36 balls with your hands, rolling each ball of dough in the white sugar and placing it on a baking sheet prepared with some parchment paper. Remember to space the cookies out appropriately...this recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies so you'll likely need to bake 3 or more sheets of cookies.
• Bake each sheet of cookies for 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they've cooled almost completely. This will help them achieve that soft and chewy texture as they continue to bake on the inside even after they've been removed from the oven.

CRISPY GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the egg and beat for about 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the molasses, mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
• Add the dry ingredients, then mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix. The dough will be very soft; refrigerate it for about one hour, or until firm enough to roll.
• Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the remaining ½ cupgranulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart (they will spread), then flatten slightly with your fingers. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until set and golden on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. (As they bake, they will puff up and then flatten. Do not remove them from the oven until they are flat.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate the dough between batches. The cookies will keep for several days in an airtight container.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Scoop the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

THE BEST GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves in a large bowl.
• Mix the butter, shortening, brown sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in the egg. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and pat to 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick, dusting with flour if needed. Cut into 3- to 5-inch cookies with a gingerbread man cutter or desired shape. Brush off the excess flour and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
• Bake the cookies in batches until they are golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the royal icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar with the meringue powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat in 6 tablespoons of water until well combined and you have stiff glossy peaks, adding 1 tablespoon more water at a time to reach a smooth pipeable consistency. Mix in food coloring as desired. Fill pastry bags fitted with tips. Decorate the gingerbread cookies with the icing.

THE MOST WONDERFUL GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
• In a large bowl (KitchenAid's great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
• Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.
• Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
• Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 deg. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
• (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.
• Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.
• Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.
• Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick.
• Use additional flour to avoid sticking.
• Cut out cookies with desired cutter-- the ginger bread man is our favorite of course.
• Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies-- very good!).
• Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
• After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.
• I usually brush them with a powdered sugar glaze when I am in a hurry, but they look wonderful decorated with Royal icing.

BEST-EVER CHEWY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In small bowl, place granulated sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set and soft in center. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Store tightly covered up to 1 week.

BIG SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. , Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until puffy and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

BEST EVER GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together brown sugar, butter, and molasses. Beat in the egg.
• In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture and mix thoroughly. Roll into balls, dip in white sugar.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla;mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to5 days.