Friday, December 23, 2011

Gingerbread Cookies


Holiday season calls for cookies.

Lots of cookies.

And it also calls for a little pep talk.

I'm talking to those of you out there who have never baked cutout cookies because you were too scared to do so. Because it looks hard. Because I tried and it didn't work. Because there is a Kroger right down the street. (Oh, give me a break!!!)

You need to stop that. Like now. Like...this milisecond.

This was my very first time baking cutout cookies and decorating them. I did it, and so can you. Make them before Christmas. Make them after Christmas. Make them whenever you get a craving for chewy spice cookies.

Are we good? Yeah?

Yeah!



This gingerbread shenanigan started when on a certain Monday, a very special package was delivered to my door.

101 Cookie Cutters, complete with all alphabet, numbers, major holidays and specialty shapes.

Of course I had to go a little crazy. 


All color-coordinated and pretty and cute and so. many. possibilities.


Once you make your dough, you have to spread it out on top of a parchment sheet over a cookie sheet. Top with a second parchment paper. Refrigerate overnight before rolling out on a clean, wide surface.

Flour is your best line of defense when handling your dough. Under, over, around, and every which parameter of the dough. Sprinkle some more when flipping. Don't pat the dough too much with your hands- their warmth will soften it. What happens then is you need to roll up the dough again and put it back in the refrigerator- and who wants to do that, anyway?


Once you have showed your dough who's boss, next comes the fun part.

Get your cookie cutter ready, press down on the dough, wiggle, and lift. The dough will most likely stick to the bottom of your cutter as you lift.

See my very first cut gingerbread boy here? Mmm, what a cutie.



Cookies everywhere on the kitchen table.

One little lady freaking out over how the heck she will decorate these in time for delivery.

What else is new?

So, here is the decorating process.

We have here your wonderful royal icing. I divided the white icing into separate bowls and tinted them with different food colors.


When not using, cover the icing with plastic wrap. Royal icing stiffens quickly.


I started with white icing and started to trace the edges of the cookies.

I have fancy shmancy decorating tips and all, but really, the bottom corner of a sturdy Ziploc bag will be just fine.
Once the white icing has set in and hardened a little bit, trace the insides of the lines with a different color.

Then, using a toothpick or a wooden skewer, drag the icing to the edges, like so.









Cookies are slowly starting to come together...even if it's super late at night and pictures turn out badly and the table is messy and crowded.

The point is, they are coming together. Very nicely, in fact.


And yes, that IS a half-eaten gingerbread boy on the left. I couldn't help myself. It was too cute.






So...what do you think?

Totally possible. Totally achievable. Totally adorable.




Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp allspice or cloves
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a saucepan set over low heat, or in the microwave, melt butter, then stir in the brown sugar, molasses, salt, and spices.

2. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, let it cool to lukewarm, and beat in the egg.

3. Whisk the baking powder and soda into the flour, and then stir these dry ingredients into the molasses mixture. 

4. Divide the dough in half, and wrap well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

5. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Get out several baking sheets; there's no need to grease them, though lining with parchment saves effort on cleanup.

6. Once the dough has chilled, take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator, and flour a clean work surface, and the dough. Roll it out as thin or thick as you like; for slightly less crisp cookies, roll it out more thickly.

7. Use flour under and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the table or rolling pin. Alternatively, place the dough on parchment, and put a sheet of plastic wrap over it as you roll, pulling the plastic to eliminate wrinkles as necessary when rolling; this will keep dough from sticking without the need for additional flour. For soft dough, or dough to be rolled extra-thin, you may choose to roll right onto the ungreased back of a baking sheet.
8. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, cutting them as close to one another as possible to minimize waste. 

9. Transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets (or, if you've rolled right onto the parchment, remove the dough scraps between the cookies). Bake the cookies just until they're slightly brown around the edges 8 to 12 minutes, or until they feel firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for several minutes, or until they're set. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. 

10. Decorate the cookies with Royal Icing

Source: King Arthur Flour

1 comment:

  1. omg!! your epic cookie cutter collection!!!!! priceless!! this seems like an epic experience- cutting, baking, drawing and painting all in one!! ;)

    ReplyDelete