Martha Stewart Basic Gingerbread Cookies

Martha Stewart basic gingerbread cookies are an easy holiday cutout cookie made with molasses, brown sugar and warm spices, ready in 2 hours including chilling. It's an easy dessert for Christmas cookie swaps, holiday parties or cozy winter afternoons, and it's a make-ahead friendly bake.

Chill the dough for at least an hour before you roll it, because cold dough keeps its shape under the cutter. Skip it and the sticky dough tears, sticks to the counter and spreads in the oven.

Martha adds a teaspoon of finely ground black pepper to the usual ginger, cinnamon and cloves. That gives the cookies a peppery warmth you don't get from a standard gingerbread. Pressing currants into the raw dough for buttons also means you can skip the icing glue and get neat little buttons that stay put.

Martha Stewart Basic Gingerbread Cookies

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

230

kcal

A spiced, molasses-rich dough rolls thin and bakes up crisp at the edges with a deep brown color. Once cool, a simple royal icing outline finishes each cookie.

Ingredients

• 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  

• 1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
  

• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  

• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
  

• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  

• 2 large eggs
  

• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
  

• Currants, for decorating
  

• Royal Icing , for decorating
  

Directions

• Mix the dry ingredients: Sift 6 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder together in a large bowl. Set it aside while you make the wet mixture.
• Cream the butter and sugar: Cream 1 cup butter and 1 cup packed dark brown sugar in a mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Then mix in the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt.
• Add eggs and molasses: Add 2 eggs and 1 cup molasses to the creamed butter. Mix well so the dough base looks smooth and evenly dark.
• Combine and chill the dough: With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time and beat until combined. Divide the dough into thirds, wrap each piece in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Prep the oven and pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F while the dough chills. Line your baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
• Roll and cut: Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out gingerbread boys and girls, then move them to the prepared sheets.
• Add buttons and bake: Press currants into the dough to make buttons. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cookies are crisp but not darkened.
• Cool and decorate: Move the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Then decorate with royal icing once they are fully cool.

Tools for this recipe

• Ateco 11-piece round cutter set, J.K. Adams French rolling pin, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make the gingerbread dough ahead of time?

Yes, wrap the dough well after mixing and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the fridge, not on the counter, so it stays firm enough to roll.

Which molasses should I use for gingerbread cookies?

Use true unsulphured molasses, in a medium or dark variety if you can find it. Blackstrap molasses is not a swap, since it is far more bitter, and sulphured molasses can leave a noticeable off flavor.

How do I stop the sticky dough from tearing when I roll it?

Chill it well, then roll it between or on parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat so it doesn't grab the counter. Dust flour on lightly, because too much makes the cookies tough.

How long do baked gingerbread cookies keep?

Baked and decorated cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Let the icing set fully before stacking them so the designs don't smudge.

Can I decorate the cookies without icing?

Yes, press currants into the dough before baking for eyes or buttons. You can also brush the dough with a little egg white and sprinkle on nonpareils before baking, which skips the icing entirely.