Gingerbread Cookies

Derek doesn't have favorites for anything. In his opinion he doesn't feel like one should be restricted by favorites because as soon as you tell someone your favorite color, candy, anything, that's all your going to get for the rest of your life. It's kind of true, and a good theory. One thing that Derek does have a favorite with though is cookies. When we were first married he told me his favorite cookies were gingerbread, and as much as I tried, they never came out right. 

For our #FlammilyAdvent one of our daily activities were to make gingerbread cookies. I looked up a recipe and tweaked it a little bit to fit with the ingredients we had in our pantry and you guys, these cookies are amazing. They're chewy, they taste like gingerbread, but not in a way that's overwhelmingly spicy like some recipes. They hold they're shape and don't spread at all in the oven. They're perfection. I even got a little risky and tried my hand at royal icing and that came our great too. Now if only I had better cookie decorating skills. 

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
6 tbsp unsalted, room temperature butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses 
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, whisk together the four, salt, cinnamon, and cloves, then set aside. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until just combined. Then beat in the egg. Then add in your vanilla and molasses and beat until it's all incorporated. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until it all comes together in a dough. 

On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and then roll it out until it's 1/8in thick. Cut out desired shapes with your cookie cutters, and then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, and then cool on a wire rack. After 8 minutes of baking, they're not going to look done, but trust me, they're done!


  1. I think Gingerbread cookies are the cutest things ever and I am so sad that I have never made them!! I'm going to try any get myself to make them for my parent's Christmas Eve party :)

  2. These look amazing! I have been looking for a relatively easy Christmas cookie to make - i'll have to give these a try!

  3. I just pinned this post :) You had me sold on them when you said they were soft. And I never really thought about favorites like that, but he makes a pretty good point :)

  4. Nice recipe! I didn't trust that they were done at 8 min though and put them for a couple of minutes longer . . . WRONG CHOICE :) 8 min is definitely enough even though they don't look done.