I love gingerbread cookies. As you can see from my post about Gingersnaps or Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies or Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies, I am always trying out different ways to bring warm spicy flavors to life. They are a just a must at Christmastime. While I always love the look of beautifully piped Gingerbread Men cookies, I find it intimidating and too hard to pull off. I love this recipe I am sharing today, because you dip it into glaze instead of piping them which makes this such and easy recipe. So, let’s step into a world of warm spices and festive joy as we make these soft and perfect gingerbread man cookies. In this step by step guide, I’ll show you how to make these delicious cookies to help bring in the joy of the season with the classic flavors.
See Below for Step x Step Instructions (including pictures) on how to make Glazed Gingerbread Men Cookies!
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Ingredients for Perfect Glazed Gingerbread Cookies:
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
- 6 cups flour
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
Shop Here for Everything You Need to make Perfect Glazed Gingerbread Men Cookies:
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions:
Prep:
STEP 1: Preheat oven to to 375 degrees. Prep several baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
STEP 2: Lay out cooling racks with wax paper underneath.
Make your Glaze:
STEP 3: Add powdered sugar, milk and 4 teaspoons vanilla to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.
Make Your Gingerbread Men:
STEP 4: Add molasses and shortening to a pot and place over medium heat.
STEP 5: Whisk mixture until shortening is melted into molasses.
STEP 6: Simmer molasses/shortening for 4-5 minutes.
STEP 7: Add sugar, egg and vanilla to bowl of a stand mixer and mix until smooth.
STEP 8: Dissolve baking soda in the hot water and add to the batter. Stir to combine on low.
STEP 9: Add cloves, cinnamon, salt and ginger and mix until combined.
STEP 10: Add hot molasses mixture and mix until incorporated.
STEP 11: Slowly add flour and mix until it turns into a sticky dough.
Cut Your Gingerbread Men:
STEP 12: Spray a cutting board with cooking spray and add about 1/3 of dough to the board.
STEP 13: Roll the dough with a rolling pin sprayed with cooking spray to about 1/2 inch thick.
STEP 14: Use a cookie cutter to cut out your gingerbread men while dough is still warm.
STEP 15: Place gingerbread men on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake Your Gingerbread Men:
STEP 16: Bake gingerbread men for 8 minutes.
STEP 17: Immediately dip cookies into prepare glaze. I used a small spatula to lift off of the parchment and then drop into the glaze. Use a fork to turn it and pull it out from underneath cookie letting extra glaze drip down back into the bowl.
STEP 18: Place glazed cooking on a cooling rack to cool. You may want to turn them after a few minutes, so they dont get stuck to the cooling rack.
STEP 19: Serve or store in an airtight container for up to a month. Yall, these cookies last so long and stay soft and chewy and delicious.
Tips for make the perfect Glazed Gingerbread Men Cookies:
- Prep your ingredients. You have to move pretty quickly through these, so it’s best to prep all your ingredients and pans beforehand.
- Dont add extra flour. Usually when rolling out dough, you should add to a floured surface. NOT THIS RECIPE. Just using cooking spray and roll your dhough.
- Keep the dough warm. When rolling out cookies. That is why you need to work quickly. You can stick it in the microwave for 10 seconds if it gets too cool.
- Use butter flavored shortening. Don’t skip on this part. The butter flavored shortening adds such a rich flavor which makes them perfect!
Glazed Gingerbread Men Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3/4 tsp cloves
- 3 tsps cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsps ginger
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 tsps vanilla
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to to 375 degrees. Prep several baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
-
Lay out cooling racks with wax paper underneath.
-
Add powdered sugar, milk and 4 teaspoons vanilla to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside. Make Your Gingerbread Men:
-
Add molasses and shortening to a pot and place over medium heat.
-
Whisk mixture until shortening is melted into molasses.
-
Simmer molasses/shortening for 4-5 minutes.
-
Add sugar, egg and vanilla to bowl of a stand mixer and mix until smooth.
-
Dissolve baking soda in the hot water and add to the batter. Stir to combine on low.
-
Add cloves, cinnamon, salt and ginger and mix until combined.
-
Add hot molasses mixture and mix until incorporated.
-
Slowly add flour and mix until it turns into a sticky dough.
-
Spray a cutting board with cooking spray and add about 1/3 of dough to the board.
-
Roll the dough with a rolling pin sprayed with cooking spray to about 1/2 inch thick.
-
Use a cookie cutter to cut out your gingerbread men while dough is still warm.
-
Place gingerbread men on prepared cookie sheets.
-
Bake gingerbread men for 8 minutes.
-
Immediately dip cookies into prepare glaze.
-
Place glazed cooking on a cooling rack to cool. You may want to turn them after a few minutes, so they dont get stuck to the cooling rack.
Tell me what you think below. I would love to hear your thoughts on what I consider the perfect gingerbread man cookies. Tag me @dwellanddine to let me see your creations.