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Soft Gingerbread Cookies are displayed in this featured image, highlighting their soft texture and festive appeal.
Lady Maria

Perfect Soft Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread cookies are perfectly soft, chewy, and spiced with the classic flavors of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Chilling the dough is key to preventing spreading and achieving the ideal texture. Decorate with royal icing or a simple glaze for a festive treat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsulphured molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Royal icing or glaze for decorating optional

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Mixing bowls
  • electric mixer
  • whisk
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • Plastic wrap
  • Baking sheets
  • parchment paper
  • Rolling Pin
  • Cookie cutters
  • wire rack

Method
 

  1. Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add wet ingredients: Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
  3. Whisk dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
  4. Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  5. Chill the dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. This allows the gluten to relax and the flavors to meld.
  6. Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.
  8. Bake: Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are set.
  9. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Decorate (optional): Once cooled, decorate the cookies with royal icing or a simple glaze.

Notes

For best results, use fresh spices. Chilling the dough is crucial for soft cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain softness. For a richer flavor, try using brown butter instead of softened butter.