Crisp Gingerbread Cutouts Recipes

CRISP GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well (dough will be soft). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. , On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter and place on greased baking sheets. Add raisins for eyes and red-hots for buttons. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

GINGERBREAD CRISP CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well (dough will be soft). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters and place on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CRISP GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices, salt, and pepper, then eggs and molasses. Add in flour mixture on low speed. Divide into thirds; wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to baking sheets lined with Silpat mats; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp but not darkened. Cool on wire racks, and decorate.

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth until ready to frost cookies.

GINGERBREAD CUT-OUT DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix the flour, sugars, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and cloves in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With the mixer speed on low, begin adding the butter. Allow the mixture to blend until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixer looks sandy, up to 4 minutes. The ingredients should hold together when clumped in your hand. Add the molasses and vanilla to the butter-flour mixture and mix on low until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead it about 20 to 25 times until smooth. If the dough is sticky, add a sprinkling of flour until it no longer sticks to your hands. Divide the dough in half.
• Working with one half at a time, roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick (see Cook's Note). Use a VERY light sprinkling of flour on the dough if it is sticking to the parchment. Repeat with the second portion of dough. Chill the rolled dough on baking sheets until firm, about 2 hours in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut out gingerbread shapes and place the cookies on half sheet pans lined with parchment. Bake until the edges and center feel set and the centers puff slightly, rotating the pans from back to front and top to bottom about 8 minutes into baking, 11 to 12 minutes total for medium-sized 3-inch cookies (see Cook's Note). Allow to cool completely before removing from the parchment.