Description
Festive holiday spirit sparkles in these charming Gingerbread Tree Cookies, blending classic spices with playful seasonal design. Delicate decorations and warm ginger notes invite winter celebrations, promising sweet memories you’ll treasure with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
Decorating Ingredients:
- Royal icing
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Blend softened butter and dark brown sugar in a spacious mixing vessel until achieving a pillowy, aerated consistency.
- Incorporate molasses and egg, stirring thoroughly until ingredients merge seamlessly.
- In a separate container, thoroughly combine flour, baking soda, aromatic spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg), and salt using a whisk.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, kneading gently until a cohesive dough develops.
- Partition dough into two equal portions, pressing each into a flat circular shape, then encase in plastic film.
- Refrigerate dough disks for a minimum of 60 minutes to enhance flavor and ensure optimal texture.
- Heat oven to 350°F, positioning rack in central position and lining baking trays with parchment paper.
- Dust work surface with a light flour coating and roll out initial dough disk to approximately ¼-inch thickness.
- Utilize festive tree-shaped cookie cutters to extract precise shapes, transferring delicately onto prepared baking sheets.
- Position cookies in preheated oven, baking for 8-10 minutes until edges turn firm and develop a golden-brown hue.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for five minutes to stabilize, then transfer to wire cooling rack.
- Once completely cooled, embellish with intricate royal icing and decorative sprinkles according to personal aesthetic preference.
Notes
- Chill dough longer for more intense flavor development and easier rolling.
- Use freshly ground spices to enhance the warm, rich gingerbread taste.
- Experiment with alternative flours like whole wheat or gluten-free blends for dietary variations.
- Roll dough evenly to ensure consistent baking and crisp cookie edges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 4.5g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 10mg