What's Christmas without -
The Best Gingerbread Cookies!
Here is the best gingerbread cookie recipe I've found. Originally found on the Williams-Sonoma site over a decade ago, I had to tweak it to make it my own. Preparing this holiday treat has definitely become one of our family traditions. I like to share the baked cookies with friends & family & let them do their own decorations.
Prep
& Cook Time: About 1 ½ hours, plus 1 hour to chill (I prefer to chill in
refrigerator overnight.)
Makes:
About 2-3 dozen delicious 3-4 inch cookies.
¾
C molasses
½
C oil
1/3
C firmly packed brown sugar
1
large egg (I use egg replacer)
2
¾ whole wheat pastry flour
½
t sea salt
1
T baking powder
1
T cinnamon
½ t cloves
1
T ginger - I use finely grated fresh ginger root. Be careful not use the core, which
is too fibrous. Press ginger between
toweling to remove excess moisture. I find using the real ginger root the cookie has more zing. You will have tiny fibers sticking out of the cookies, which doesn't bother me too much - I think it's a good trade-off for the flavor. If using the root, use 1 1/2 to 2 T
Beat
w/mixer molasses, oil, brown sugar & egg (or egg replacer) until well
blended. Add grated ginger if using root.
Mix
flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger (if using ground dry ginger) &
cloves. Stir into molasses mixture, then
beat until well blended.
Divide
dough in half, gather into a ball, then form into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap & freeze
for 1 hour or chill in refrigerator overnight.
Remove
dough from bag. On a lightly floured
surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each disk to about ¼ inch
thick. With lightly floured cookie
cutters, cut out cookies. Place about 1
inch apart on greased cookie sheet.
Bake
at 350 degrees for 9 min; if using parchment paper, cook for 10 min.
Cool
on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool
completely.
Enjoy & 5 more days to go...
