Classic Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Prep Time:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cook Time:
8 minutes
Servings:
20 Cookies
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  2. Add the butter and brown sugar to a large bowl and beat for 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
  3. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat again to combine.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to form the dough.
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half.
  6. Flatten each dough half into round discs. Cover these discs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  8. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  9. Flour a large surface and roll out half of the dough until it's about ¼-inch thick.
  10. Using cooking cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes. Place shapes onto the prepared sheet pan and repeat this process with the other half of dough.
  11. Place one sheet at a time into the oven on the middle rack and bake for 8 minutes. Once the first batch of cookies is done, repeat with the second sheet.
  12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  13. In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
  14. Transfer the icing to a piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip.
  15. Decorate the cooled cookies as desired. Let the icing set and harden before storing or serving the cookies.