Sunday 25 December 2011

Gingerbread Cookies

Merry Christmas everyone :) Sorry I haven't been updating my blog regularly. 12th really is hectic! I've barely had time to bake, let alone post recipes! It's probably going to be this way for the next few months until the Boards get over (can't wait for March 26th! :D) but I promise to post on this blog as much as I can, and I will definitely be posting a lot of recipes once my exams are over. Sooo, on a brighter note, it's Christmas!! That means lots of presents! But more importantly, lots of good food :D And yummy desserts. So, to celebrate Christmas, I decided to find time amidst the studying, and I baked cookies :) Not just any cookies. Gingerbread men :) Considering it's my first time making them, I think they came out really well! My mom ate quite a few, so I guess that means she enjoyed them too!! These are really easy to make and taste amazing. The only problem is that the dough has to be refrigerated for a few hours. I hate waiting. But I think in this case, it was worth the wait. Try these, you won't be disappointed! This recipe makes about 24 cookies. Have a merry Christmas :)



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
5/8 cup (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 egg

Method:

1. Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter for about a minute. Add the brown sugar and beat again until well combined.
3. Beat in the molasses and egg.
4. Gradually add in the flour and stir to form a dough.
5. Form a disk with the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 3 hours.
6. After the dough has been refrigerated, let it come to room temperature.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit (about 200 degrees celcius).
8. Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. For softer cookies, roll the dough out slightly thicker.
9. Cut the cookies using a cookie cutter, cut the cookies and place them on a cookie tray.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are crisp.
11. Decorate with icing if desired. I used a simple icing recipe. Scroll down for the recipe.



Icing Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

Combine all the ingredients together and mix.