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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies

Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies

From “Sunset Magazine,” Lane Publishing, Menlo Park, CA, circa 1980s, comes this fantastic gingerbread cookie recipe which I use lots during Christmas baking. It’s rolled thicker than most gingerbread cookies, cuts easily into any shape and retains its moistness. I’ve included a recipe for royal icing, which I like to use when decorating the cookies. I have so many memories making and decorating these cookies with my daughter.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

¾ C heavy whipping cream 1 tsp grated lemon peel

1-1/4 C firmly packed light brn sugar¼ tsp salt

2/3 C light molasses 4-1/2 C unbleached flour, unsifted

1 Tbs soda Cold water + pastry brush

1-1/2 tsp ground ginger White/colored decorating icing

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Using a stand or electric hand mixer, beat the cream until very soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar, molasses, soda, ginger, cinnamon, lemon peel, and salt. Using low setting, gradually stir in the flour, mixing well after each addition. Let dough stand, covered, about 30 minutes or until easy to handle. You can chill the dough overnight, then allow it to return to room temperature before cutting/shaping.

On a lightly floured pastry cloth or board, roll out dough to a bit thicker than 1/8”. Cut with large cookie cutters, freehand with a knife, or knife with cardboard template (about 5” maximum dimension).

Arrange cookies about 1” apart on prepared cookie sheets. Brush each lightly with cold water using a pastry brush. Bake in 350 oven for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned.

Transfer to racks or wax paper to cool. Store airtight up to 2 weeks at room temp. Serve plain or decorate with icing. Makes about 3 dozen cookies of average size.

Icing: 2 egg whites and 2-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they are frothy and slightly thickened. Add the sifted sugar into the whites ½ cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue to beat for about 5 minutes or until stiff icing is formed. Add a small round decorating tip to a pastry bag and work with 1 cup of the icing at a time.

Enjoy! - Rebecca

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New Contributor
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎07-10-2014

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies

Do you have templates to make the cookie cutters for the gingerbread house?

Regular Contributor
Posts: 157
Registered: ‎08-26-2015

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies


@Nana T wrote:

Do you have templates to make the cookie cutters for the gingerbread house?


@Nana T

 

Hi Nana,

 

I was surprised to see this recipe surface, which I posted 2 years ago, but it's that time of year again, so the timing is good!

 

This is the BEST gingerbread COOKIE recipe, when using templates to make shapes or cookie cutters.  ***It is not appropriate for gingerbread houses or structures, because it is too soft.  Don't get me wrong, it has body, but not the kind to make a major structure.  I have used this, though, to make graham cracker sized gingerbread houses.

 

When using this dough to make a small structure the sides of which are the size of 2 graham crackers before you break them apart, I don't use a template prior to the bake.  I cut out the pieces in nearly the shape desired, knowing the cookie will spread, because that's what THIS dough does.  Then out of the oven, I let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes, gently remove to wax paper over newspaper, leaving plenty of space between each piece for trimming.  When cooled another 5-10 minutes, I have my best bread knife (which is pretty long) and my poster board templates ready to go.  To get the best results, here is what has worked best for me: place a template on of a piece of cookie.  Using the bread knife, place the knife edge right up against the edge of the template, using your dominant hand.  The fingers of your other hand will gently hold the template in place.  Your goal now is to cut through the cookie swiftly in one downward stroke.  **The cookie should still be soft/pliable and not hard at all.  When this cut is complete, move to the next side and so on.

 

I hope this makes sense.  If not, please let me know.

 

Note: I do have an excellent gingerbread recipe specifically for use in making gingerbread stuctures.  However,  need to start getting ready for my granddaughter's birthday today, so will come back here later, so that I can transfer that recipe from my binder to a Word document, so that I can post it for you.

 

Happy baking!

 

~Rebecca

 

p.s.  I have one of those food scraper things that is metal and has one rolled end, a flat 5" surface  and a pretty sharp edge to it.  This year I'm going to see if I can make the cut on small houses with this scraper, as my GD just turned 2 today and I hope will enjoy making these little houses with me.  It might or might not work out.  Will se

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,368
Registered: ‎07-17-2011

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies

@sfnative  When I saw this post, I was about to rejoice because you had your avatar back, then I noticed the date of the post.  Maybe you can find a way to copy it from this message.

 

 

Regular Contributor
Posts: 157
Registered: ‎08-26-2015

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies


@Honeybit wrote:

@sfnative  When I saw this post, I was about to rejoice because you had your avatar back, then I noticed the date of the post.  Maybe you can find a way to copy it from this message.

 

 


@Honeybit

 

Hi HoneyBit,

 

It is so kind of you to care and then write a post to me.  That means a lot.

 

In the last few days I have had additional beginnings of contact with a Moderator.  I got back to her with an answer to a question on Friday, but think it was too late for her to act on it (I'm Pacific Time).  I'm hopeful that once Monday rolls around, I might get lucky.  Will keep my fingers crossed.  I have @dooBdoo to thank for this.  Oddly enough, when I just typed the "each at" symbol to bring up dooBdoo's name, mine came up as an alternative and it had my real avatar in it.  No how did that happen?  Got me!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,476
Registered: ‎06-27-2010

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies

[ Edited ]

@sfnative wrote:

@Honeybit wrote:

@sfnative  When I saw this post, I was about to rejoice because you had your avatar back, then I noticed the date of the post.  Maybe you can find a way to copy it from this message.

 

 


@Honeybit

 

Hi HoneyBit,

 

It is so kind of you to care and then write a post to me.  That means a lot.

 

In the last few days I have had additional beginnings of contact with a Moderator.  I got back to her with an answer to a question on Friday, but think it was too late for her to act on it (I'm Pacific Time).  I'm hopeful that once Monday rolls around, I might get lucky.  Will keep my fingers crossed.  I have @dooBdoo to thank for this.  Oddly enough, when I just typed the "each at" symbol to bring up dooBdoo's name, mine came up as an alternative and it had my real avatar in it.  No how did that happen?  Got me!


 

 

Hi, @sfnative!  How sweet of you to mention me!  You're a gem.Heart  (So is @Honeybit!)

 

The reason your established account/nickname shows up with the "@" feature is because the account is still there (and it's the one in the original post on this thread, so it pops up as a default choice).  Be sure to direct the moderators to that account so they can do something to merge the 2 or at least restore your access to the original account.  And no offense intended to the moderators, but keep after them to fix this problem once and for all, okay?  I know it has to be so frustrating added to everything else going on.

 

(here's the link to your original account that you might want to give them:  @sfnative)

 

And now I want some gingerbread cookies!  Oh, dear!

 

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova
Regular Contributor
Posts: 157
Registered: ‎08-26-2015

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies


@dooBdoo wrote:

@sfnative wrote:

@Honeybit wrote:

@sfnative  When I saw this post, I was about to rejoice because you had your avatar back, then I noticed the date of the post.  Maybe you can find a way to copy it from this message.

 

 


@Honeybit

 

Hi HoneyBit,

 

It is so kind of you to care and then write a post to me.  That means a lot.

 

In the last few days I have had additional beginnings of contact with a Moderator.  I got back to her with an answer to a question on Friday, but think it was too late for her to act on it (I'm Pacific Time).  I'm hopeful that once Monday rolls around, I might get lucky.  Will keep my fingers crossed.  I have @dooBdoo to thank for this.  Oddly enough, when I just typed the "each at" symbol to bring up dooBdoo's name, mine came up as an alternative and it had my real avatar in it.  No how did that happen?  Got me!


 

 

Hi, @sfnative!  How sweet of you to mention me!  You're a gem.Heart  (So is @Honeybit!)

 

The reason your established account/nickname shows up with the "@" feature is because the account is still there (and it's the one in the original post on this thread, so it pops up as a default choice).  Be sure to direct the moderators to that account so they can do something to merge the 2 or at least restore your access to the original account.  And no offense intended to the moderators, but keep after them to fix this problem once and for all, okay?  I know it has to be so frustrating added to everything else going on.

 

(here's the link to your original account that you might want to give them:  @sfnative)

 

And now I want some gingerbread cookies!  Oh, dear!

 


@dooBdoo

 

Thank you so much for the additional information.  I'll make sure to pass this along to the person with whom I'm working.

 

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday. We're off to an Oktoberfest and the major birthday party for our 2 y.o. granddaughter (had a little one here today).  Think I'll need a restful Monday.  LOL!

Regular Contributor
Posts: 157
Registered: ‎08-26-2015

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies

[ Edited ]

@Nana T wrote:

Do you have templates to make the cookie cutters for the gingerbread house?


@Nana T

 

I'm sitting here laughing at myself, because I read your post hours and hours ago and have since made and frosted a chocolate birthday cake, wrapped a huge gift, had a party at my house, then made a Lidia Bastianich pasta dish for dinner, then sat down and wrote a recipe and directions on how to make a gingerbread house.  I spent 2 hours on this!  I think my brain is tired, because that's not what you asked at all.  LOL!!!

 

So, now to an answer for you.  Yes, I do have templates, but they are not "cutters."  I decided early on, after a friend had a bad experience with hers being mishandled just a little bit and bending, that I would make my own templates.  To that end, I looked and looked for a hardbound book that could be my go-to book for this art and purchased the following:

 

Making Great Gingerbread Houses, Aaron Morgan, Paige Gilchrist, Lark Books, Asheville, North Carolina, 1999

 

This book has MANY photos that one could easily learn and copy from.  Templates in the back of the book include those for:

 

Basic house

Tree house with a Twist

Christmas Wedding Chapel

Covered Bridge Mill

Fire House Christmas

Little Red School House

Holiday Village

Down by the Old Mill Stream

Snow Covered Cottage

Stonecreek Inn

Hendersonville Depot

Zookeeper's Paradise

 

Note:  These tempates are not full size.  What is provided are all of the line drawings to scale and the measurements required.  For instance, in the Basic House, there is a picture of a long rectangle and it's captioned "House Roof Front."  At the bottom we're given a measurement of 5 inches and on the long side a measurement of 10 inches.  The Porch Overhang is 2-1/4 inches x  9 inches and so on.  What I've always done is gone to my favorite art supply store to purchase good quality foam board.  My husband then placed some little clamps in the top of each piece to make it easy to lift off, so that my fingers didn't ding the dough, because when I started doing this, my nails were still medium length.

 

Hope this helps.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,476
Registered: ‎06-27-2010

Re: Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Cut-out and Eat Cookies


@sfnative wrote:

@dooBdoo wrote:

@sfnative wrote:

@Honeybit wrote:

@sfnative  When I saw this post, I was about to rejoice because you had your avatar back, then I noticed the date of the post.  Maybe you can find a way to copy it from this message.

 

 


@Honeybit

 

Hi HoneyBit,

 

It is so kind of you to care and then write a post to me.  That means a lot.

 

In the last few days I have had additional beginnings of contact with a Moderator.  I got back to her with an answer to a question on Friday, but think it was too late for her to act on it (I'm Pacific Time).  I'm hopeful that once Monday rolls around, I might get lucky.  Will keep my fingers crossed.  I have @dooBdoo to thank for this.  Oddly enough, when I just typed the "each at" symbol to bring up dooBdoo's name, mine came up as an alternative and it had my real avatar in it.  No how did that happen?  Got me!


 

 

Hi, @sfnative!  How sweet of you to mention me!  You're a gem.Heart  (So is @Honeybit!)

 

The reason your established account/nickname shows up with the "@" feature is because the account is still there (and it's the one in the original post on this thread, so it pops up as a default choice).  Be sure to direct the moderators to that account so they can do something to merge the 2 or at least restore your access to the original account.  And no offense intended to the moderators, but keep after them to fix this problem once and for all, okay?  I know it has to be so frustrating added to everything else going on.

 

(here's the link to your original account that you might want to give them:  @sfnative)

 

And now I want some gingerbread cookies!  Oh, dear!

 


@dooBdoo

 

Thank you so much for the additional information.  I'll make sure to pass this along to the person with whom I'm working.

 

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday. We're off to an Oktoberfest and the major birthday party for our 2 y.o. granddaughter (had a little one here today).  Think I'll need a restful Monday.  LOL!


 

You're welcome, @sfnative!  It's beyond annoying that they haven't fixed this for you yet.  I've spent most of my career in IT and it bothers me to see these customer support issues dragging on for such a long time with no resolution.

 

Have a wonderful week!

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova