Description
These chewy gingerbread man cookies are a festive treat perfect for holiday celebrations. Made with warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze, they offer a delightful balance of soft texture and rich flavor. The dough stays sticky and warm for easy rolling, and dunking each cookie in glaze right out of the oven gives them a beautiful, shiny finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup molasses, Grandma’s brand
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 6 cups flour
Glaze
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare your workspace: Set out multiple cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat, arrange cooling racks over parchment or paper to catch icing drips, and set aside a glass bowl for reheating dough if needed.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to warm up while preparing cookie dough.
- Make the glaze: In a glass bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- Simmer molasses and shortening: Over medium heat, combine molasses and butter-flavored shortening in a pot. Simmer gently for 2 to 5 minutes, whisking vigorously in the beginning until mixture coats a spoon and forms a sticky sauce. Do not scorch.
- Cream sugar mixture: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Dissolve baking soda: In a glass measuring cup, dissolve baking soda in hot water, then add this to the creamed sugar mixture. Stir on low until combined.
- Add spices: Blend ground cloves, cinnamon, salt, and ground ginger into the creamed mixture.
- Combine hot molasses mixture: Slowly beat the hot molasses and shortening mixture into the creamed sugar and spice mixture until incorporated.
- Incorporate flour: Gradually beat in flour, starting slowly. The sticky dough will absorb the flour and become cohesive. Once fully mixed, remove dough onto a surface for shaping.
- Roll out dough: Spray the counter with nonstick spray (not flour), take 1/3 of the warm dough, and roll it to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use small cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men while the dough is still warm and sticky.
- Bake cookies: Place cookies on prepared sheets and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Small cookies need 5 minutes, 3-4 inch cookies need 7-8 minutes, and regular-sized cookies need 10 minutes.
- Glaze cookies: Immediately after removing from the oven, dunk each hot cookie completely in the glaze to coat all sides. Drain on cooling racks until dry.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag. For freezing, press out air and seal tightly; cookies keep up to 2 months in the freezer.
Notes
- The dough will feel very sticky but do not add extra flour; it will roll out fine with cooking spray.
- Use cooking spray on the counter and rolling pin instead of flour to prevent stickiness.
- Keep dough warm at all times. If it cools, warm it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to maintain pliability.
- Dunk cookies in glaze while still hot to achieve a smooth, shiny coating.
- If cookies are too soft to handle when baked less, bake a little longer to avoid squishing when glazing.
- Rotate glazed cookies after a few minutes on the rack to prevent sticking.
- Cookies maintain freshness up to one month in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
