Description
These chewy gingerbread man cookies are a festive and flavorful treat perfect for holiday baking. Made with a blend of molasses, warming spices, and a sweet glaze, they are soft, sticky, and delightful. The dough is rolled warm and cookies are quickly dunked in glaze for a shiny, sweet coating that keeps them moist and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup molasses, Grandma’s brand
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 6 cups flour
Glaze
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare Your Space: Set out multiple cookie sheets lined with parchment or a silpat. Arrange cooling racks over parchment or paper to catch icing drips. Set aside a glass bowl for reheating dough if needed.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make Glaze: In a glass bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- Simmer Molasses and Shortening: Over medium heat, add molasses and shortening to a pot. Simmer for 2 to 5 minutes, whisking vigorously at the start to emulsify, until mixture coats the spoon and runs off as a sticky sauce. Remove from heat.
- Cream Sugar, Egg, and Vanilla: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add Baking Soda Mixture: Dissolve baking soda in hot water and stir into the creamed mixture on low speed until combined.
- Add Spices and Salt: Blend ground cloves, cinnamon, salt, and ginger into the mixture until evenly distributed.
- Combine Molasses Mixture: Beat in the hot molasses mixture until fully incorporated.
- Add Flour: Gradually beat in flour starting slowly, then more as the dough thickens and becomes sticky. Once combined, remove dough to the counter for rolling.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Spray counter with nonstick spray. Divide dough into thirds. Roll one portion about 1/2 inch thick using a spray-coated rolling pin. Cut out small gingerbread men with cookie cutters while dough is still warm. Keep remaining dough warm; reheat briefly if needed.
- Bake Cookies: Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes depending on size: 5 minutes for very small, 7 to 8 minutes for 3-4 inch, and 10 minutes for regular size.
- Glaze Cookies: Remove cookies from oven and immediately dunk each hot cookie completely in the glaze, coating all sides.
- Cool and Store: Drain glazed cookies on cooling racks until dry. Store in airtight containers or freezer bags when cooled. Freeze up to 2 months, pressing out air from freezer bags.
Notes
- The dough will feel very sticky but do not add more flour; it will roll fine.
- Use cooking spray on the counter and rolling pin instead of flour to prevent sticking.
- Keep the dough warm while working; reheat in microwave for 5-10 seconds if it cools and hardens.
- Dunk cookies in glaze while still hot from the oven for best coating and adherence.
- If cookies are too soft to handle, bake a little longer before glazing to prevent squishing.
- Rotate glazed cookies on racks after a few minutes to prevent sticking as glaze sets.
- Cookies store well up to one month in airtight containers at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
