At the store, we affectionately call these cookies “Gingies.” We begin the holiday season by donating hundreds of them to Somerville’s Santa arrival the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Through the holiday season we make these traditional gingerbread men, which we call “Nice,” as well as a version that includes a dash of cayenne and black pepper for the “Naughties” (they bite you back a little!).
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 1 cup molasses
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- Approx. 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
For the cookies:
In a large bowl, cream butter. Slowly add sugar and beat a few minutes until fluffy. Beat in egg, then molasses. In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Stir into butter mixture, a little at a time. Scoop dough onto a large sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Dust with a little flour,wrap and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
Preheat oven to 375°. Roll out chilled dough onto a floured surface, cut out cookies, place on greased or lined cookie sheets and bake for 6-8 minutes.
For the icing:
In a medium bowl, beat egg white and add sugar a little at a time until the mixture becomes spreadable. Use immediately. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small tip with icing (or put the icing in a Ziploc bag and cut the corner to form your own pastry bag) and decorate cookies. Icing will dry to a hard, shiny surface.
Recipe from Megyn Craine, Baker
Former Proprietor of THE DESSERT PLATE in Somerville
Yields 4 dozen
