Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 2 dozen large cookies
When you cook and bake for a living, as I do, it's rare for someone to go out of their way to cook or bake something for you. When you are married to a culinary professional, as I am, the likelihood decreases dramatically. That said, every December, my entire household is joyous when a small white box shows up on our doorstep, stamped "fragile" all over. Inside are the softest gingerbread people imaginable, with an aroma that hits your nose before you can even grab one (lucky hands go for cookies decorated with Red Hots). Until now, I never tried to bake these gingerbread cookies, preferring to savor the gift, which is made even sweeter by the fact that they come from Suzan Akin, a friend I've known since 1994, who lives in Chicago. She's got an infectious laugh you can hear all over the house. She found the original formula online on allrecipes.com and has made a few modifications to the dough and the icing. Her tips: Only use Grandma's Molasses and measure it in a dry measuring cup, one you would use for flour. Stamp cookies with large cutters (4-to-6-inches), which helps to avoid over-baking. Suzan likes her gingerbread soft, which means under-baking; eight minutes is plenty for a large cookie; smaller ones will take even less time. Under-baking yields a more delicate cookie, so take care when decorating with icing. But a few broken pieces are a small price to pay for these wonderful seasonal treats.
DOUGH
5 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons ground ginger
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup molasses
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Extra flour (for sprinkling)
1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
2. In another bowl, combine the molasses and water. Stir well.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, if you have one, or the whisk, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, beat in the molasses mixture until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl as necessary.
4. With the mixer set on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 or 4 additions, scraping down the bowl several times. Mix gently until the flour is fully incorporated.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the dough is firm enough to roll.
6. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand 2 large rimmed baking sheets (you'll use them ungreased and without parchment paper) and a gingerbread cutter that is about 4 to 6 inches long.
7. Sprinkle the counter lightly with flour. Remove ‚ of the dough from the bowl. Roll it to ¼-inch thickness. Dip the cutter into flour and stamp out shapes. Set them 2 inches apart on the ungreased sheets.
8. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until just barely set. Cool on the baking sheets. Use a thin metal spatula to gently loosen the cookies just before they have cooled completely. Roll, stamp, and bake the remaining dough in the same way.
ICING
⅓ cup (5‚ tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk, or more if needed
½ cup Red Hot candies (optional)
Red and green sprinkles (optional)
1. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
2. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat until completely incorporated. If you plan to pipe faces and details, you will probably not need more milk. If you would like a spreadable icing to cover the cookies, add more milk,1 tablespoon at a time, until the icing reaches the a spreading consistency.
3. Spoon the icing into a piping bag to pipe faces and decorations on the cookies. Or spread the icing on them. Decorate with Red Hots and red and green sprinkles, if you like. Store in an airtight container.