Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup margarine, softened
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 0.5 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using an electric mixer on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and then the molasses.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, mixing until everything is well blended and smooth.
3. Divide the dough in half, shaping each portion into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 to 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
4. When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Take one disk of dough out of the refrigerator, leaving the other disk chilled. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough from the center outwards until it reaches a thickness of 1/4 inch.
6. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into festive shapes. Dip the cookie cutters in flour as needed to prevent sticking. Arrange the cookie cutters close together to maximize the number of cookies you can cut, reducing the need to re-roll the dough repeatedly.
7. Carefully transfer the gingerbread cookies to ungreased baking sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart. Gather any leftover dough scraps into a ball, flatten it, re-wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for use in later batches.
8. Bake each sheet of cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are firm. Transfer the baked cookies to wire racks to cool completely while you continue rolling, cutting, and baking the remaining cookies.
9. Once the gingerbread cookies are completely cooled, frost and decorate them as desired with your favorite icing, sprinkles, and candies.

Nutrition

• Calories: 88 kcal
• Fat Content: 3 g
• Fiber Content: 0 g
• Sugar Content: 6 g
• Sodium Content: 103 mg
• Protein Content: 1 g
• Cholesterol Content: 7 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 14 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g