How to Make Gingerbread Men

Guide Note: How to Bake Christmas Cookies offers tips, tricks and advice on how to bake and decorate gingerbread men for the holidays.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

How to Make Gingerbread Men

Photo by S. Schleicher
Photo by S. Schleicher
  • What would Christmas be without gingerbread men? They're adorable. They're delicious, and one of their ilk has been immortalized in film thanks to Shrek. Kids have a great time decorating them, and you'll certainly have a good time eating them.

Ingredients You'll Need

Equipment You'll Need

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk or Sifter
  • 1 Heavy Duty Mixer
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • Rolling Pin
  • Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter
  • Spatula
(Creative Commons photo by Jess Lander)
(Creative Commons photo by Jess Lander)

Gingerbread Men Baking Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Set this bowl aside.
  2. In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
  3. Add the egg and molasses until combined.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
  5. Divide the dough in half.
  6. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  8. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  9. Roll out the chilled dough to approximately 1/4 inch thick on a flat surface lightly dusted with flour.
  10. Cut out the dough using your gingerbread man cookie cutter.
    • To keep the cutter from sticking to the dough, spray lightly with cooking spray.
  11. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet.
  12. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes depending on their size.
    • The cookies are done with the edges begin to brown.
  13. Remove the cookies from the oven.
  14. Cool on a rack for approximately 2 hours before decorating or freezing.

How to Decorate Your Cookies

Use royal icing to decorate your cookies. (Creative Commons photo by Lana)
Use royal icing to decorate your cookies. (Creative Commons photo by Lana)
  • The best part of making Christmas cookies is definitely the decorating. You get to personalize your little baked creations, and if you have kids, you get to let them in on the act. So, bust out your pastry bags and gumdrops. It's time to give those gingerbread men some eyes.

How to Make Royal Icing

  • The type of icing typically used in decorating Christmas cookies is called "royal icing." A thick version of the icing can be used to create outlines or piping around your cookie. A thinner version can be used to coat your entire cookie with a layer of icing that will harden into crunchy finish.
  • This recipe will yield approximately 2 1/2 Cups of Royal Icing.

Ingredients You'll Need

  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
  • 1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice
  • 4 Cups of Confectioners' Sugar
  • Vanilla, Peppermint or Lemon Extract (Optional)

Equipment You'll Need
  1. In the bowl of the mixer, whip together the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy.
  2. Sprinkle in the sugar gradually. Add the lemon juice and extract, if desired. Continue whipping.
  3. Beat the mixture until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Approximately 5 to 7 minutes on high speed.
  4. Transfer to a pastry bag, filling to 1/3 full. Use standard tips #2 or #3, and decorate!
    • Thick icing is good for creating a pipe or outline to be filled in with thinner icing.
    • Thin icing is good for filling in an outlined shape or laying a base coat over the entire cookie. Icing can be thinned by adding water.
Photo by Cinzia Nicolini
Photo by Cinzia Nicolini

Alternate Recipe

  • This recipe will yield approximately 3 Cups of Royal Icing.

Ingredients You'll Need

  • 3 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice
  • 4 Cups of Confectioners' Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup of Warm Water

Equipment You'll Need
  1. In the bowl of the mixer, whip together the sugar and meringue powder.
  2. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
  3. Add the water. Beat for approximately 5 minutes or until stiff peaks begin to form.
  4. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Decorating Before You Bake

  • You can decorate your cookies before putting them in the oven. Try one of these pre-baking decorating techniques:
  1. Sprinkle course colored sugar on your cookies.
  2. Place nuts, colored sprinkles or dragees on your cookies.
  3. Mix beaten egg yolks with food coloring, and paint your cookies before they go in the oven.

Additional Decorating Tips

  1. To attach candies to your cookies after baking, use a drop of corn syrup or a dab of royal icing to hold them in place.
  2. Dust cookies with powdered sugar.
  3. Use a toothpick or small paintbrush to paint details on your cookies.

Resources for How to Make Gingerbread Men

Cookie Icing, Glaze and Frosting Recipes

Decorating Cookies

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How to Bake Christmas Cookies | Christmas Cookies | Gingerbread Man | Candy Cane | Christmas Cupcakes | How to Make Sugar Cookies | How to Make Spritz Cookies | How to Make Royal Icing | How to Decorate Christmas Cookies