Saturday, December 14, 2019

Gingerbread Cookies


Ingredients
282.5 grams unsalted butter cool, not room temperature
200 grams golden brown sugarpacked
2 large eggs cold
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
210 grams molasses
832 grams all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Metric - US Customary



Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. I always use an oven thermometer. Ovens can, and usually do, heat at a different temperature than what shows on your oven screen. For the best results in any of your baking, I highly recommend using an oven thermometer. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a separate large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add your cool butter and packed brown sugar.

On the lowest possible speed, mix your butter and brown sugar just until it comes together. I usually have to stop and scrape my paddle down every few turns.
Add your cold eggs and vanilla to your butter and sugar.

Again, on the lowest possible speed, just mix until the eggs are incorporated into the butter and brown sugar. It will still look kind of chunky. Scrape down the bottom and sides of your bowl.
Add in your molasses.

Turn your mixer on the lowest speed again, and just mix until the molasses is evenly distributed. This is honestly going to look gross. It's brown with little chunks. That's okay though. It's going to produce an amazingly delicious cookie!
With your mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add your flour to the wet ingredients. It will seem like it's not going to come together or it's too dry. It will! Once it starts to clean the sides of the bowl and gathers onto the paddle, turn the mixer off. If you can press your finger into the dough without it sticking, and it leaves an imprint, it's ready! Note: I've never had to add more flour to my recipe. If for some reason you do, do so a tablespoon at a time.

I use a piece of parchment paper very lightly sprinkled with flour to roll my dough. I also use two pieces of 3/8 inch thick wood as my guide to roll my dough between. This will give you perfectly even cookies every time!


Take half of your dough, place it onto the very lightly floured parchment paper, and very lightly sprinkle some flour over the dough.

Using a rolling pin, roll your dough out and cut into the shapes you need.
Place your cut dough onto your parchment paper covered cookies sheets and bake in your preheated oven for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. I never have to bake over 10 minutes, even for my largest cutter (5 1/2 inches). They may puff up ever so slightly, but they do not spread. Once removed from the oven, the puff will go away and they will be the same shape they were cut!After removing from the oven, let the cookies set on the cookie sheet for 2-4 minutes.
Move them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
I've never gotten butter bleed with these cookies so I usually just store them in a large Tupperware container between parchment paper.
Enjoy your soft, thick, sturdy gingerbread cookies! These are amazing with or without icing on them!