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Easy gingerbread cookies
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Easy Gingerbread Cookies

These easy gingerbread cookies are made with maple syrup, spices and brown sugar. Topped with royal icing.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Chill Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 38 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Keyword: gingerbread, gingerbread cookies
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 100kcal
Cost: $40

Equipment

  • 2 Large baking sheets
  • parchment paper
  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 gingerbread cookie cutter
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 small saucepan
  • plastic wrap

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup maple syrup or molasses
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp brandy optional
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground clove
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ cup pearl sprinkles for decoration, optional
  • ½ cup royal icing for decoration, optional

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Then add the brown sugar, brandy (if using), maple syrup, clove, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg to the saucepan and stir until well combined, over low heat.
    ¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp brandy, 1 tsp ground clove, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • Remove the wet ingredients from the stove and let cool for 10 minutes. Then add the egg to the mixture and whisk together.
    1 egg
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and beat on medium speed until well combined, about a minute.
    1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 3½ cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp salt
  • The dough will be extremely soft. Divide the dough in half and form each half into an oval shaped disc (with your hands). Wrap each oval separately in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. If it's not chilled, the cookies will be a mess!
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it defrost for 5-10 minutes. Then lightly flour your work surface and begin rolling one dough oval disc into a large circle. Roll it until it is ¼ inch thick or even slightly thinner. Thicker cookies will be chewy and thinner cookies will become crispy.
  • Use your cookie cutter to cut out as many gingerbread cookies as you can. Place as many on a baking sheet as will fit (they don't spread in the oven much). They should not be touching on the sheet.
    Take the dough scraps, smash them together and roll the dough out again to cut out more gingerbread cookies. Repeat until you run out of dough from the first oval disc. Repeat the same process for the second oval disc (or save the dough for later if you want less cookies right now).
  • Push three pearl sprinkles into each gingerbread to make buttons. Then place the cookies in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, until firmed up and slightly darker. Remove and let cool completely.
    ¼ cup pearl sprinkles
  • Decorate the cookies with royal icing if you wish. You can use a piping bag for precise lines. Let the frosting dry before transferring for storage.
    ½ cup royal icing