Ornament Spiced Gingerbread (Print View)
Crisp and tender spiced gingerbread shaped for festive decorating and hanging.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 g)
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
05 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
10 - 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (100 g)
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 2/3 cup unsulphured molasses (160 ml)
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Decorating
14 - Royal icing
15 - Assorted sprinkles, edible glitter, or small candies
16 - Ribbon or string for hanging
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
02 - Beat softened butter and dark brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture; mix until well combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness. Cut shapes using ornament or festive cookie cutters.
08 - Use a straw or skewer to poke a small hole near the top of each cookie for hanging purposes.
09 - Place cookies on prepared baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
10 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are set and centers appear dry. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.
11 - Once completely cooled, decorate with royal icing and sprinkles as desired. Allow icing to set before threading ribbon or string through holes for hanging.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These cookies have that perfect snap and chew that makes people ask for your secret (the molasses is doing the heavy lifting).
- You can actually decorate them without special skills, and watching your design come together feels like a small creative victory.
- Homemade ornaments become keepsakes in a way store-bought ones never do.
02 -
- Molasses can vary wildly in thickness and flavor depending on the brand, so if your dough feels too wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time rather than assuming you made a mistake.
- Overbaking these cookies by even two minutes turns them from tender to hard, so set a timer and check them early; they should look underbaked in the center.
- The hole for hanging must be poked while the dough is soft; trying to drill through a baked cookie will crack it almost every time.
03 -
- If your dough cracks when you roll it out, it's too cold; let it sit at room temperature for five minutes and it will become more pliable without getting sticky.
- A offset spatula is the single best tool for moving these cookies off the sheet once they've cooled; it slides underneath cleanly and prevents breakage.