Classic soft gingerbread cookies are an old-fashioned holiday staple baked from scratch.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
Icing
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar.
- Add molasses, vanilla, and eggs; mix on medium-low until well combined, the mixture will appear a little separated.
- Stir in the baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add flour; mix until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to spoon large balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Press down on the dough to flatten.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes at 375°F.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Icing
- In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add meringue powder and powdered sugar.
- Slowly add the water ¼ cup at a time until you’ve reached a spreadable consistency. Turn mixer on high for 10 to 20 seconds.
- With a piping bag and Wilton #3 tip, you can decorate with your icing!
Notes
- Be sure to use room temperature butter for the perfect, fluffy cookies.
- The baking soda is what helps make this recipe so soft and chewy! If you omit the baking soda, you will end up with a crunchy and crisp gingerbread cookie.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
- I didn’t want my icing to be like flood icing, I kept it a little thicker so I could pipe on my patterns and words. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a bit more water.
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