Be Merry Gingerbread Cookies

Every year I decorate our Christmas tree with a few of my gingerbread cookie ornaments, last year I made mini gingerbread houses and gave them out to friends. This year I thought I would have fun with words. Even though the words are not a gingerbread ornament, they definitely make a fun centerpiece on a platter. Everytime friends come over it makes a fun starter conversation. What a hit!

  I had a tough time deciding what to go with, too many options! Everywhere you look there are sayings and very popular phrases. I went with BE MERRY, because it simply expresses a choice, a feeling of happiness and the wonderful time of year it is!

So let's get merry in the kitchen! This recipe is a 'construction' gingerbread dough. After chilled when it's baked it becomes very hard and sturdy. Although it is edible it's better used for building 'houses' than eating. Don't chip your tooth !

GINGERBREAD COOKIE INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup loosely packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

3-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves

TOOLS

Standing mixer with paddle attachment

rolling pin

parchment paper

2 baking sheets

2 cooling racks

measuring spoons and cups

rubber spatula

Holiday cookie cutters or enlarged words on paper
scissors
X-acto blade or paring knife

bamboo skewer or toothpick

ICING TOOLS
pipping bag
#2 tip
a few small mixing bowls if you decide to color your icing
food coloring
Holiday sprinkles 

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and sugar. Add the molasses and mix well. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and 1/3 cup water to molasses mixture. If dough gets too stiff, mix with your hands. Work dough with your hands. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a neat rectangle, wrap well, and refrigerate for at least 1 hr or overnight. 

Place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet. With the rolling pin smooth and roll out dough to just under 1/4 inch thick. Press your favorite cookie cutter and cut out as many as you can. 

If you are doing the word template, with scissors or an X-acto blade carefully cut out each word. (I made a few copies in case I messed up!) Place each word on the dough and with the pairing knife or back side of the X-Acto blade carefully cut out/remove the dough. Chill your tray with your cookies in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. No need to move the word cookies as you will place the tray directly into the oven to bake. How easy it that!

Bake naked and decorate with icing and sprinkles afterwards.

 

Or before you bake if you are going to hang your gingerbread ornament and and want to add a hole for some string after it's baked,  use the toothpick or bamboo skewer to make a small hole 1/2 inch from the top of each cookie to accommodate a string or hook.

Now is also a good time to decorate w/ sanding sugar or sprinkles if you want!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until firm. Once baked very carefully move your cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool. Now is a good time to make the icing.

Once cooled pipe icing with the #2 tip on each and decorate as desired. If you are covering your cookie entirely with icing re-insert skewer or toothpick to keep hole open. To allow icing to set, leave cookies overnight to dry on your kitchen counter.

ROYAL ICING INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 cups

5 tbsp meringue powder
1 lb of sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a standing mixer. If icing is too thick, add a little water. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Merry Christmas!

Me on the right, not so merry!

Mini Gingerbread Ornament Houses

This year I challenged myself and made these lovely miniature gingerbread houses! A fun twist on a tradition yet ornament size! Super fun and easy to make and the expressions from your friends when you gift them or when they see them on your tree is priceless!

TOOLS:
3-D mini gingerbread house cookie cutter from fancyflours.com about $9!
rolling pin
standing mixer fitted with paddle
measuring cups and spoons
parchment paper
large rimless cookie sheet
cooling rack
twine
pastry bag with writing tip
toothpick
candy decorations & sprinkles

INGREDIENTS
Gingerbread House:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses or dark corn syrup
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp water

Royal Icing:
3-3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 large egg whites
1 tsp lemon juice or any extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

I used a 3D mini gingerbread house cookie cutter from fancyflours.com The final ornament house size is approximately 2.5"H x 5-5/8"D x 2"W. This clever little cutter makes 6 quick easy pieces that can be 'glued' together after baking. Then you just decorate!

In a stand mixer cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda until the mixture is smooth.  Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. 
Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.  

Roll gingerbread dough out on a large rimless cookie sheet over parchment paper.  Position the cutter to get as many houses as you can. Carefully remove the left over dough. With a toothpick carefully puncture a hole into the two roofline pieces. This will be for the twine to go through when you are assembling the house.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until dough feels firm.
Cool for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to cooling rack to cool down more. 

Make the Royal Icing while the cookies are cooling.
Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer until the icing is smooth and thin enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more extract or lemon juice to thin, only if necessary.

Place royal icing into a pastry bag fitted with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house piping on candy decorations, windows, etc as desired. Let dry until hardened. 

Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry. It only takes a few minutes.

 Run a piece of twine about 6-7" long to the two roofline pieces before you glue them together to the pitched roofline edges. Continue decorating the house, glueing on small candy pieces or sprinkles to your desired look. Silver dragees are very nice!

Once you are done with all the houses place in an area where they can be left alone undisturbed overnight before you handle again. Tie the twine.  Hang on tree!  As gifts, carefully wrap each with tissue and place in a beautiful holiday box! 

Merry Christmas!