Description
These spicy gingerbread cookies are richly flavored with dark molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a surprising kick of black pepper. They bake up chewy yet sturdy—perfect for decorating into festive holiday shapes like snowflakes, stars, or gingerbread men.
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsulfured molasses
- To decorate:
- Royal icing
- Various fine sanding sugars and sugar decorations
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Divide dough into thirds, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into desired shapes and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Chill cutouts on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes until crisp but not dark. Let cool completely.
- Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing and sugar decorations. Let set at room temperature.
Notes
- For a lighter flavor, substitute half the molasses with honey.
- To increase spiciness, add an extra ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Use smaller cookie cutters to yield more cookies.
- For softer cookies, reduce baking time slightly.
- Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them moist.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12–14 minutes per batch
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large cookie
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
