Gingerbread Cookies

 If you have learned anything from me this holiday season it’s that I LOVE gingerbread!

I decided to give my gingerbread cookie recipe a bit of a facelift.  The reason I love gingerbread so much is because of all of the spices in it.  This recipe is packed with that spice flavor.  My husband loves gingerbread BUT only if it’s softer.  Gingerbread can tend to be super crunchy, which I actually don’t mind, but I wanted to find a good balance.  This recipe, to me, is the best of both worlds.  It’s soft and chewy, but it also keeps that nice crunch on the outside.  I think gingerbread is so special because you only have it once a year!  It makes your house smell like the holidays… which makes me so happy!!

Gingerbread Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter; room temperature

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 egg yolks; room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 2/3 cup unbleached flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (dried is ok too)

1/4 teaspoon clove

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

*In a bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking soda, nutmeg, clove, and salt

*In a bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy; about 3 minutes

*Beat in the egg yolks

*Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture on low speed

*Mix until just combined

*Gather the dough into a ball; it will be a soft dough

*Separate dough in half

*Wrap in plastic wrap shaping it into a flat disk and refrigerate for at least 3 hours even overnight

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

*Remove one of the pieces of wrapped dough from the refrigerator

*On a lightly floured work surface, roll it out to 1/4 inch thick

*Cut out desired shape

*Carefully transfer shaped dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

*Gather up dough scraps into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill

*Repeat until the dough is all used; be careful not to overwork the dough

*Bake 6-8 minutes until golden brown

*Transfer to a cooling rack

*Decorate with royal icing or buttercream icing! Here is my mom’s gingerbread display from Thanksgiving.