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European-Style Gingerbread Cookies

Healthy Elizabeth
These perfectly chewy European-style gingerbreadmen are the perfect spiced Christmas cookie. They have a traditional cakey interior with a thin, hardened, sweet glaze on the exterior. These rustic cookies are sure to become part of your holiday traditions!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 40 gingerbreadmen (depending on cutter size)

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • cooling rack
  • mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • cookie cutter

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 cup salted butter
  • 1 cup raw cane sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
  • 1¼ tsp ground cloves
  • 3 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • avocado oil spray for keeping work surface nonstick

Milk Glaze

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup whole milk
  • ½ tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Make the milk glaze

  • In a large glass bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Set aside.

Make the cookie dough

  • Preheat the oven to 375℉.
    In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the molasses and butter. Bring it to a simmer and let cook for 2-5 minutes, whisking the mixture together until it forms a sauce.
    Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Next, pour in the hot molasses and butter mixture and mix until incorporated.
  • Measure out the hot water in a measuring cup, then stir in the baking soda until dissolved.
  • Add in the spices, sea salt, and flour. Mix on low speed until all the flour has been absorbed.
  • Prepare a couple of baking sheets with a sheet of unbleached parchment paper. Set out a cooling rack on the counter.

Roll out the dough

  • Spray your work surface with avocado oil spray. Take about ⅓ of the cookie dough and turn it out onto the sprayed surface.
    Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it is ½ inch in thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out as many shapes as you can while the dough is still warm.
    **Dough needs to be warm to roll out. If the dough cools down, warm it in a glass bowl in the oven or microwave for a few seconds.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes for 3-4" cookies.
    *5 minutes for 2-3"
    *10 minutes for 5"
  • Remove the baking sheet from the oven and while the cookies are still warm, dip the topside of each cookie in the milk glaze.
    Place the cookies on a cooling rack until the glaze has fully set (**rotate them after a few minutes so that they do not stick to the rack**).
    Enjoy!

Storage Tips

  • Store in an airtight glass container or a freezer bag.
    To freeze the cookies, release as much air from the freezer bag as possible before sealing. Store cookies in the freezer for up to 2 months.