Recipe for soft gingerbread cookies
Recipe for soft gingerbread cookies
These Gingerbread Cookies are so delicious! These would be a great addition to a Christmas party, on a dessert table, or a Holiday Cookie Exchange. They’re crunchy and a little chewy, and the Butter Cream Frosting is so sweet and creamy it melts in your mouth, and adds a wonderful finish to this cookie. Make sure you put this one in your favorites, its sure to be asked for again.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:
COOKIES:
2 Sticks of Butter – softened
1 cup of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
1 Egg
3 cups of Flour
1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
3/4 cups of crushed Gingerman Cookies (Pepperidge Farm Brand Makes the Gingerman Cookies)
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 stick of Butter – softened
8 ounces of Cream Cheese – softened
1 32 ounce bag of Powdered Sugar
Red Food Coloring Gel
Green Food Coloring Gel
Brown Food Coloring Gel
1 package of Gingerbread Men Cookies – to top
Mini Gingerbread Men Sprinkles – See link
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the Whisk attachment, add the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, Egg, and blend until light and fluffy. Add the Crushed Gingerman Cookie crumbs, and Blend lightly. Switch to the Paddle Attachment. In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Baking Powder, and stir well to blend. Add the Flour a little at a time and mix on low to blend, until all the Flour is added. Continue to blend the Cookie dough until it’s completely blended and a smooth ball starts to form. Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed. (See photos of cookie dough, and rolling into balls).
Line two cookie sheets with Parchment paper, and roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1 inch balls, and place the balls on the Parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or just until the cookies start to turn a light golden brown around the edges.
About half way through baking the cookies, check the oven, and the cookies may have started to crack a little. Take a flat bottom glass, dip it in Sugar before lightly applying to each cookie – smash the cookies very gently, and slightly, making them a little flatter, and spread out a little more. This will give the cookies the crinkle look.
When the cookies are done, remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling, make the Frosting.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese, and mix until light and fluffy. Add the Powdered sugar a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the Frosting is smooth and fluffy. Divide the Frosting evenly into 4 bowls. Add the Red Food Coloring Gel to one bowl, Green to one bowl, and Brown to one bowl, and leave one bowl White. Stir the Food coloring into the Frosting until well mixed.
Using Plastic wrap (Glad wrap) tear off a piece about 12 inches wide, and place the Frosting length-wise in the middle of the plastic wrap; it will look like 4 long ribbons of Frosting. Then, roll the plastic wrap around the Frosting, making sure to keep it long, or length-wise like a long ribbon. Twist the Plastic Wrap at the ends. SEE PHOTO – Snip the end off of the Plastic wrap, on one end only, and place it in a Pastry bag with the large round Tip. Pipe the Frosting onto the cookies, using a swirling motion, then bringing the frosting to a point at the top. When all the cookies have been frosted, sprinkle the mini Gingerbread men on the cookies, and place a Gingerman Cookie in the top or on the side of the cookies to serve. Allow the Frosting to set or firm up a bit, about 30 minutes. Serve, and Enjoy!
Makes 36 to 40 Cookies
NOTE: Make sure the Butter and Cream Cheese, for the cookies, and for the Frosting, is softened to room temperature for best results.
