Classic, Traditional Gingerbread Cookies

There’s no better way to dive into the holiday season than with a fresh batch of traditional gingerbread cookies served with a cold glass of milk. And these classic holiday cookies serve as the perfect edible gift and decorating them is a perfect holiday activity.

So basically, traditional gingerbread cookies are perfect in every way. And this recipe is perfectly easy, even if your cookies look more “nailed it” than award-winning.

Makes:

3 dozen cookies

Recipe: Traditional Gingerbread Cookies

You’ll Need

¼ cup margarine or butter, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup dark molasses
⅓ cup cold water
3½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
Smooth vanilla frosting (optional)
2½ cups confectioners' sugar
¼ cup hot water
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Prep and Cook

Beat margarine, sugar, molasses, and water with electric mixer or by hand until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt, and cloves.
Add flour mixture to molasses mixture, stirring by hand just until soft dough forms.
Divide dough in half, shape each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface or between 2 pieces of wax paper, roll out one disk about 1/8" thick.
Cut out cookies using 5" gingerbread man cookie cutter.
Place 1" apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until set. (Bake a few minutes longer for crispier cookies).
Transfer to rack to cool.
Repeat with remaining disk, re-rolling scraps once to get as many cookies as possible.
When cookies are completely cool, decorate with smooth vanilla frosting, if using.