Gingerbread cut-out cookies
Yield: about 30 large cookies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies:
12tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and left at room temperature for 20minutes 3/4 cup plus 2tablespoons lightly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup dry milk powder, whirred in a blender if coarse 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1¼ teaspoons fine salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses 1large egg yolk (reserve the egg white for royal icing, if desired) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2¾ cups all-purpose flour Powdered sugar, for dusting
Royal icing:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 large egg white (see baker’s note below) ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, milk powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves. Mix on low for about 30 seconds to combine, then beat on medium until a smooth, stiff paste forms, about 2minutes. 2. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add the molasses, egg yolk and vanilla and mix on low until combined, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Add the flour and mix on low until a crumbly dough just starts to form. Scrape down the bowl and paddle again, then continue to mix another 20 seconds or so until a rough dough forms. Knead the dough in the bowl 3or 4times to make a smooth dough. 3. Divide the dough in half and pat each portion into a 1-inch-thick slab. Wrap each dough slab in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1hour. (If the dough is refrigerated for longer than 1 hour, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes or it will be too hard to roll.) 4. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center position. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. 5. To roll the dough, sprinkle a sheet of parchment with a generous amount of powdered sugar. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick, moving it around on the parchment after every couple of passes of the rolling pin to prevent sticking. 6. Cut out cookies with cutters, using firm downward pressure and fitting as many onto your dough slab as possible. Lift off the scraps, then use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about ½ inch between them. Roll out and cut the second portion of dough just as you did the first. Combine the scraps into a pile, pressing them together and kneading just a few times. Reroll the scraps and cut out a few more cookies. 7. Bake the cookies on the center rack, one sheet at a time. For soft cookies, bake for 7-9 minutes, or until just darkening at the edges. For crisp cookies, bake a minute or two longer, or until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheets, lightly gliding an offset spatula over the cookies to smooth out any air bubbles on the surface. 8. To decorate the cookies: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the powdered sugar, egg white and vanilla. Add 2 teaspoons of water and whip on low to combine. When all the sugar is moistened, whip on high for 4-5 minutes until smooth, bright white and shiny. 9. Place the icing in a piping bag with a small open tip and decorate the gingerbread as desired. Allow decorated cookies to dry for 1-2 hours before stacking or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Baker’s note: Two teaspoons meringue powder plus 2tablespoons cold water can be substituted for the egg white in the royal icing. If you are not using your icing right away, cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and a layer of plastic wrap and set it aside at room temperature for up to one week.