New England Molasses Gingerbread Cookies
Serves: 3
Halle Leffler
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
46
Spice
50
Sweetness
43
Sourness
42
mins
Prep time (avg)
5
Difficulty
Ingredients:
6 cups
All-Purpose Flour (about)1 tbsp
Ground Cinnamon2 tsps
Ground Ginger1.5 tsps
Ground Cloves3 tsp
Salt1 cup
Sugar1 large
Egg1 cup
Buttermilk1
Water1 tsp
Baking Soda3 cups
Powdered Sugar1.5 tbsps
Lemon Juice (fresh)1.5 tsps
Light Corn SyrupDirections:
1
For dough: Combine 5 1/4 cups flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend well
2
Using electric mixer, beat butter and shortening in large bowl to blend
3
Add 1 cup sugar, molasses, and lemon peel and beat until smooth
4
Beat in egg and buttermilk
5
Stir 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in small cup to blend; beat into butter mixture
6
Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions
7
Stir in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until slightly firm dough forms
8
Divide dough into 3 equal parts
9
Shape each into disk
10
Wrap disks and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 2 hours
11
(Can be made 2 days ahead
12
Keep refrigerated
13
Soften slightly before rolling out
14
) Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 16x12-inch rectangle, occasionally lifting paper to smooth out wrinkles
15
Using 4- to 5-inch cutters, cut out boy and girl gingerbread people
16
Pull away excess dough around cutouts; flatten, wrap, and chill excess dough
17
Slide rimless baking sheet or inverted baking sheet under waxed paper with cutouts and chill until firm
18
Repeat with remaining dough disks, refrigerating cutouts on waxed paper on baking sheets
19
Roll out excess dough and make more cookies, using all of dough
20
(Cutout cookies can be made 1 day ahead
21
Cover; keep chilled
22
) Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F
23
Using thin metal spatula, lift chilled cookies off waxed paper and transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart
24
Bake until darker at edges and just firm to touch in center, about 12 minutes
25
Cool on sheet 5 minutes
26
Transfer to rack; cool completely
27
Bake remaining cookies, 1 sheet at a time
28
Combine 5 1/4 cups flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend well
29
Using electric mixer, beat butter and shortening in large bowl to blend
30
Add 1 cup sugar, molasses, and lemon peel and beat until smooth
31
Beat in egg and buttermilk
32
Stir 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in small cup to blend; beat into butter mixture
33
Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions
34
Stir in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until slightly firm dough forms
35
Divide dough into 3 equal parts
36
Shape each into disk
37
Wrap disks and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 2 hours
38
(Can be made 2 days ahead
39
Keep refrigerated
40
Soften slightly before rolling out
41
) Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 16x12-inch rectangle, occasionally lifting paper to smooth out wrinkles
42
Using 4- to 5-inch cutters, cut out boy and girl gingerbread people
43
Pull away excess dough around cutouts; flatten, wrap, and chill excess dough
44
Slide rimless baking sheet or inverted baking sheet under waxed paper with cutouts and chill until firm
45
Repeat with remaining dough disks, refrigerating cutouts on waxed paper on baking sheets
46
Roll out excess dough and make more cookies, using all of dough
47
(Cutout cookies can be made 1 day ahead
48
Cover; keep chilled
49
) Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F
50
Using thin metal spatula, lift chilled cookies off waxed paper and transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart
51
Bake until darker at edges and just firm to touch in center, about 12 minutes
52
Cool on sheet 5 minutes
53
Transfer to rack; cool completely
54
Bake remaining cookies, 1 sheet at a time
55
For icing: Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl
56
Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup
57
Mix in enough water by teaspoonfuls to form smooth icing soft enough to pipe but firm enough to hold shape
58
Divide into 3 or 4 portions and tint with food coloring, if desired
59
Spoon icing into pastry bag (or bags if using more than 1 color) fitted with small (1/16- to 1/8-inch) plain tip
60
Arrange cookies on work surface
61
Pipe icing onto cookies in desired patterns
62
Apply decorations as desired
63
Let cookies stand until icing is dry
64
(Can be made 3 days ahead
65
Store cookies airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature
66
) Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl
67
Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup
68
Mix in enough water by teaspoonfuls to form smooth icing soft enough to pipe but firm enough to hold shape
69
Divide into 3 or 4 portions and tint with food coloring, if desired
70
Spoon icing into pastry bag (or bags if using more than 1 color) fitted with small (1/16- to 1/8-inch) plain tip
71
Arrange cookies on work surface
72
Pipe icing onto cookies in desired patterns
73
Apply decorations as desired
74
Let cookies stand until icing is dry
75
(Can be made 3 days ahead
76
Store cookies airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature)