Description
A classic holiday favorite that works at high altitude! These soft, super-spicy High Altitude Gingerbread Cookies are delicious iced or plain.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 TB ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup (12 TB, 1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 large egg plus one yolk, at room temperature
- 1 TB vanilla extract (not imitation)
- 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg and yolk, then the molasses; beat on medium speed for a few seconds until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour/spice mixture a little at a time until the dough is uniform and is beginning to come together in large clumps.
- The dough will be slightly crumbly at this point. Turn it out onto a counter or large cutting board and knead it a few times with your hands until it begins to come together in a large, soft ball. Divide the dough into two halves and shape each into a ball, then press into a thick disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to soften slightly. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a large, flat surface, place another sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Place the dough on the floured sheet and roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness (if you want crispier cookies, roll the dough a bit thinner). You may have to muscle the dough a bit at first until it softens and becomes more pliable.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and carefully transfer the cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheet (I use a thin, flexible spatula for this). The cookies won’t spread much, so you can place them fairly close together. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until they look slightly puffed on top. I take them out at 8 minutes because I like them softer; if you prefer a slightly crispier cookie, leave them in the full 10.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a baking rack. Once they’re completely cool, dust the cookies with powdered sugar, dip in melted chocolate, or decorate with icing and sprinkles.
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Notes
… The type of molasses you use matters. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which has a powerfully bitter flavor that’s not ideal in these cookies. Instead, look for the label “original unsulphured” or “light” molasses.
… After cutting out your cookie shapes, feel free to gather up the scraps and roll the dough out again, but resist the temptation to re-roll more than two or three times, or your cookies will be tough.