Description
These classic Gingerbread Cookies feature a rich, nutty flavor from browned butter and warm spices like ginger and cloves. Rolled and cut into festive shapes, they bake to a perfect balance of soft and crisp, making them an ideal treat for the holiday season or any cozy occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter Mixture
- 1 1/3 cup (302 grams) unsalted butter
- 4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves (preferably freshly ground)
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cup (420 grams) all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup (30 grams) as needed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (170 grams) molasses
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the butter foams, then subsides and develops brown speckles with a nutty aroma. Stir in the ground ginger and cloves, then remove from heat. Transfer to a measuring cup and let cool to room temperature. Add a splash of water if needed to return volume to 1 1/3 cups.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt until combined evenly.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cooled browned butter mixture, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg thoroughly and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add dry to wet: Incorporate the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing well after each. Scrape the sides of the bowl between additions. If dough feels too soft or greasy, mix in the extra 1/4 cup flour until dough holds shape when pressed.
- Chill the dough: Divide dough into two halves, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days before proceeding.
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll and cut cookies: Working with one disk at a time, roll dough to approximately 1/4-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Use cookie cutters or a knife to cut shapes, then transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill cookies on the baking sheet for 20 minutes to firm up.
- Bake the cookies: Bake cookies for 10 to 13 minutes, depending on size, until they are puffed and set. For crunchier texture, bake an additional 1 to 2 minutes until edges begin to brown.
- Cool and decorate: Remove cookies from oven and cool on a wire rack before decorating with royal icing or enjoying them plain.
Notes
- Use a light-colored saucepan for better visibility when browning butter.
- Add a splash of water after browning butter to recover lost volume and maintain dough consistency.
- Chilling the dough ensures easier rolling and cleaner cookie shapes.
- Excess dough scraps can be re-rolled and cut again.
- Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing for classic festive look.
- Cookies keep well stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 40 grams)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12 grams
- Sodium: 120 milligrams
- Fat: 9 grams
- Saturated Fat: 5 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 22 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 2 grams
- Cholesterol: 30 milligrams
