Description
These chewy gingerbread man cookies are infused with warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, then dipped in a smooth vanilla glaze for a festive treat. Perfectly soft and sticky, they’re ideal for holiday baking and make adorable little figures to share and decorate.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup molasses, Grandma’s brand
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup water, hot
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 6 cups flour
Glaze
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare Your Space. Prepare your workspace by setting out multiple cookie sheets lined with parchment or Silpat mats and arrange at least four cooling racks over parchment or paper towels to catch glaze drips. Set aside a glass bowl for reheating dough if needed.
- Preheat Oven. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make the Glaze. In a glass bowl, mix together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside for later use.
- Simmer Molasses and Shortening. On medium heat, combine molasses and shortening in a pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking vigorously at first to emulsify and create a sticky sauce that coats a spoon evenly.
- Cream Sugar, Egg and Vanilla. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth and combined.
- Combine Baking Soda and Water. Dissolve baking soda in hot water, then add this mixture slowly to the creamed sugar mixture, stirring on low speed to combine.
- Add Spices. Blend ground cloves, cinnamon, salt, and ground ginger into the creamed mixture thoroughly.
- Add Molasses Mixture. Pour the hot molasses and shortening mixture into the batter and beat again until fully incorporated.
- Add Flour and Form Dough. Slowly mix in the flour until the dough becomes very sticky and thick. Transfer the sticky dough to a counter sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Roll and Cut Cookies. Divide dough into thirds. Roll out one third at a time to about 1/2 inch thickness using a rolling pin sprayed with cooking spray (not flour). Cut out small gingerbread men shapes using a small cookie cutter while the dough is still warm.
- Bake Cookies. Place cutouts on cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes depending on size: 5 minutes for very small men, 7-8 minutes for 3-4 inch cookies, and 10 minutes for regular-sized cookies.
- Glaze Cookies. Immediately after removing from oven, dunk each hot cookie completely in the prepared glaze to coat all sides.
- Drain and Cool. Place glazed cookies on cooling racks to allow glaze to set and cookies to dry completely.
- Store Cookies. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag. If freezing, remove as much air as possible. Cookies can be kept frozen up to 2 months.
Notes
- The dough will feel very sticky but do not add extra flour; it will roll out smoothly with cooking spray on counter and rolling pin.
- Keep the dough warm by reheating in the microwave for 5-10 seconds if it cools down to make rolling easier.
- Dunk cookies in glaze while hot from the oven; if cookies are too soft, they need more baking to avoid breaking.
- Rotate glazed cookies on the cooling racks after a few minutes to prevent sticking.
- Cookies will stay fresh for up to one month stored in airtight containers.
- Using small cookie cutters yields cute, manageable gingerbread men, but larger cutters can be used based on preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
