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| Good times with red hots. |
So, short and sweet is the name of the game today. Without further ado...
Gingerbread Cookies & Royal Icing
Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies depending on size
Note: These are not designed to be soft and chewy, they are designed to be easy to roll and strong enough to package in bags as gifts without breaking. See note at the end of the recipe if you want something softer.
Ingredients:
1{ 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2{ 1 egg, separated into yolk and white
3{ 2 1/2 cup AP flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 salt
4{ ~1 3/4 -2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Tools: Large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoon, spatula, baking sheet pans, sieve
Directions:
1. Combine butter, brown sugar, and molasses into large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until completely homogenous.
2. Add in yolk, mix until homogenous. Place egg white in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Combine flour, ginger, soda, and salt. Mix to distribute ingredients (no need to sift). Add dry ingredients to butter, sugar, and yolk mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated.
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| It may seem a little dry, even crumbly, but don't worry! Roll up your sleeves, and use your hands to finish mixing and you'll notice the dough start to come together. |
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This time in the fridge will help hydrate the dough and make it easier to work with.
5. Remove the dough from the fridge, and working with 1/4 to 1/2 the dough at a time, roll it out to 3/8" thickness with plenty of flour. You'll learn quickly that without the flour between every 3-4 passes it will get stuck. It's also easier if you roll it out on parchment.
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| The dough will inevitably soften so you can return the dough at any time to the fridge to make it easier to roll or to to make it easier to transfer any cut out cookies. |
5. Cut out shapes!
6. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet (it should fill about 3 pans). Bake at 350°F for ~15-20 minutes. Cookies are done when the edges are slightly darker than the rest of the cookie.
Note: This recipe is designed for a crunchy/crispy cookie that travels well, if you want a softer cookie, bake for a shorter time and roll to thicker thickness (1/4").
For Icing:
For Icing:
1. Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar. Then add 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, to the egg white and mix until smooth. If you want to pipe royal icing onto the cookies, you'll want an icing that drizzles off of your whisk or spoon in a thin, slow stream. If you want something more spreadable, add one tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
2. Place into a piping bag or a zip-top bag if you want to pipe it. If you aren't going to use it immediately, make sure it's in an airtight container in the fridge otherwise it will dry out quickly.
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| Tie off your pastry bag with plastic wrap to keep it from leaking. |
Now, I know I'm going to get some comments about raw egg white. It is generally accepted practice in bakeries across America to use raw egg white royal icing (culinary schools also teach this). It is completely safe to eat once it is dry due to the unfriendly environment that all that sugar creates for any lingering bacteria (which is already a very unlikely occurrence in a fresh clean egg white). If you just aren't in a place to accept that, then just place your decorated cookies into a 160°F oven for 15 minutes. Just make sure that the decor you use can withstand this temperature. Certain wax-based sprinkles or chocolate probably won't make it. When in doubt just test a few pieces first to find out.
All right kiddos, go forth and bake. Don't forget about Santa, he'll love these.
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