Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread man cookies decorated with royal icing for Christmas on a piece of parchment paper.

Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies

One dozen tender gingerbread cookies with deep molasses flavor and lots of warm spice. After a required chill, the cookie dough rolls and cuts cleanly, bakes in about 10 minutes, and is ready for icing and sprinkles.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Chill2

Total Time2 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Erin Cernich

Equipment

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cookies

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt

Royal Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons meringue powder
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 to 3 tablespoons warm water
gel food coloring optional for decorating

Instructions

Gingerbread Cookies

In a smaller work bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. .
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

If you don't have a smaller mixing bowl for your stand mixer, you can use a medium mixing bowl and a hand mixer.

Add the molasses, vanilla, and egg yolk. Mix on medium until the yolk and molasses are fully combined. If the mixture looks a little curdled, that's ok. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
3 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk
Set a fine mesh strainer over the mixing bowl to sift in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt, and shake into the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium and mix until no dry streaks remain, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Expect a soft and sticky dough.
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon salt
Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the dough into a rough disc. This way your hand won't get sticky. Cover the dough tightly with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
When you're ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured work surface. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. This is a sticky dough, so you may need to lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as well.

I use a baking mat that sticks to the countertop to roll out the dough. That way, it won't move around, and it's easier for cleanup.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out your shapes, and place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Re-roll any scraps to cut into more cookies. Try to limit re-rolling the scraps to 2 to 3 times. Too many re-rolls, and the dough can get tough.

Use a spatula to lift the cut-out cookies onto the baking sheets to keep the shapes intact.

Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, for 10 to 11 minutes or until the edges are set. While the first batch is baking, refrigerate the other baking sheet of cookies. If the cookies feel warm from the rolling and cutting, place both baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill for about 10 minutes.

I prefer to bake one baking sheet at a time vs. rotating two pans halfway through. This way, you don't have to open the oven and let all the heat escape.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Store the cookies in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The longer they sit, the softer they will get.

Royal Icing

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla, and salt. Turn the mixer on low and slowly drizzle in 1.5 tablespoons of water. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for 2 minutes.
1 cup powdered sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons meringue powder, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 to 3 tablespoons warm water
The consistency should be similar to warm honey, and when you lift the whisk, the ribbon of icing should drip down and disappear into the surface within about 10 seconds. If it disappears immediately, it's too thin and needs to be mixed a few seconds longer. If it's too thick, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, and mix to combine.

In my dry climate, I will use up to 3 tablespoons of water to get a pipeable, flooding consistency. Note that the longer you mix the icing, the thicker it gets, and the thicker it is, the harder it is to pipe.

To tint the icing, divide it into separate bowls and use gel food coloring. I use a toothpick to dip into the coloring, then swirl it into the icing. A little goes a long way.
gel food coloring

Notes

Serving Size - This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled. If doubling, use one whole egg instead of two yolks. The number of cookies in your batch will depend on how thick you roll out your cookie dough and the size of your cookie cutters. My gingerbread man cookie cutters are about 2x3 inches.
Cookie Texture - These gingerbread cookies are more tender than they are crisp. For a crispier cookie, bake for 1 to 2 more minutes.
Freezing the Cookie Dough – After chilling the dough, place the wrapped disc in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting.
Freezing Baked Cookies – Baked and decorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Gently place in a freezer bag and lay flat. Thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition