Description
Gingerbread Men Sugar Cookies, honey blonde style! Get soft, chewy, spiced cookies that are easy to make & perfect for your holiday traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
- Dough Essentials:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Spice & Flavor Boosters:
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Icing & Decoration:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
- Kitchen Staples:
- Extra flour for dusting work surface
Instructions
- Creaming the Good Stuff:: First things first, get that butter and both sugars into a bowl. Cream them together with an electric mixer until they’re light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step is where you build the foundation for soft cookies, so don’t rush it! I always make sure the butter is super soft; otherwise, it just fights you, you know? The mixture should look pale and airy, almost like a cloud. It smells subtly sweet already, a promise of what’s to come.
- Adding the Wet Wonders:: Now, beat in the molasses and the egg. Mix until everything is just combined. You don’t want to overmix here; we’re just aiming for a uniform, slightly sticky mixture. This is where the dough starts to get that beautiful deep caramel color, and honestly, the scent of molasses just takes over. It’s one of my favorite smells in the kitchen! Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so all that good stuff gets incorporated.
- Whisking the Dry Delights:: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. This is a small step but super important for even distribution of spices. I once just dumped everything in, and let’s just say some cookies were spicier than others! It smells so aromatic when you whisk it up, a real preview of the gingerbread men sugar cookies’ flavor.
- Combining the Elements:: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop as soon as you see no more streaks of flour. Overmixing develops the gluten, and we want tender, not tough, gingerbread men sugar cookies! The dough will be soft and a bit sticky, but it should hold together. I always have a moment where I think, ‘Is this right?’ but it always is.
- Chilling Out (Crucial for Gingerbread Men Sugar Cookies!):: Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours, or even overnight. Honestly, this step is non-negotiable for gingerbread men sugar cookies! It firms up the dough, making it much easier to roll and preventing the cookies from spreading into shapeless blobs. I usually make the dough the night before to save time and sanity. It’s a little messy when you wrap it, but worth it.
- Rolling, Cutting & Baking:: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out your gingerbread men sugar cookies with your favorite cutter and carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. They’ll still be soft in the middle, but that’s what we want for that honey blonde texture! Let them cool completely on the baking sheet before decorating.
- Whipping up the Icing:: While the cookies cool, prepare your icing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk and add more a tiny bit at a time until you reach your desired consistency. If you want to add food coloring, divide the icing into smaller bowls and mix in your colors. This is the fun part, getting creative with those little gingerbread men sugar cookies!