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How to Make Gingerbread Men

  • Introduction

    What is Christmas without tins full of lovingly-decorated cookies or the smell of gingerbread men baking in the oven? If you think about it, cookies are downright necessary when it comes to celebrating Christmas. After all, Santa's got to have something to eat when he pops by on Christmas Eve.

  • How to Make Gingerbread Men

    • 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.

    Gingerbread Men Ingredients

    • 3 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
    • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
    • 1/2 Cup of White Sugar
    • 1 Egg
    • 2/3 Cup of Molasses
    • 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
    • 3/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
    • 2 Teaspoons of Ground Ginger
    • 1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
    • 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
    • 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves

    Gingerbread Men Equipment

    • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
    • Whisk or Sifter
    • 1 Heavy Duty Mixer
    • Plastic Wrap
    • Cookie Sheet
    • Parchment Paper
    • Rolling Pin
    • Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter
    • Spatula


  • 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 Gingerbread Men

    • 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.

  • Alternate Royal Icing Recipe

    • Using uncooked, unpasteurized eggs is considered unsafe by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As an alternative, you can make Royal Icing with meringue powder, which is essentially dried egg with sugar and gum added.


    • 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

    • Mixer
    • Pastry Bag or Plastic Bag
    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.

  • 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

    • Mixer
    • Pastry Bag or Plastic Bag
    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.

  • 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.

 


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