Description
Festive gingerbread star cookies bring holiday cheer with their warm spices and charming shape. Crisp edges and rich molasses flavor invite winter celebrations, promising sweet memories that connect bakers to cherished traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
Flour and Spices:
- 3 ¼ cups (410g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120ml) molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Decoration:
- Royal icing or powdered sugar
- Sprinkles or edible glitter (optional)
Instructions
- Create a creamy base by whipping softened butter with brown sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale, approximately 2-3 minutes of vigorous mixing.
- Incorporate egg, molasses, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, ensuring thorough blending and a uniform consistency.
- Prepare the dry ingredients by combining flour, baking soda, salt, and warm spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in a separate mixing vessel.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring gently until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing.
- Partition the dough into two equal rounds, encase each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes to allow flavors to meld and dough to firm up.
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for optimal cookie release.
- On a lightly dusted work surface, roll out a single dough disc to a thin, uniform thickness of approximately 1/4 inch.
- Utilize star-shaped cookie cutters to create precise shapes, transferring them to prepared baking sheets with slight spacing between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, watching for set edges and slightly soft centers, indicating perfect doneness.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes to stabilize, then transfer to a wire cooling rack for complete cooling.
- Once thoroughly cooled, embellish with royal icing, delicate powdered sugar, or festive sprinkles to enhance visual appeal.
Notes
- Chill dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain crisp star shapes during baking.
- Use room temperature butter for smoother mixing and better cookie texture.
- Adjust spice levels to personal preference by increasing or decreasing ground ginger and cinnamon amounts.
- For gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain similar consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg